


Brightest Day

by khaleesiq



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, F/F, Green Lantern - Freeform, Lena Luthor as Green Lantern, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-02
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-01-01 05:25:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 70,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18329513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/khaleesiq/pseuds/khaleesiq
Summary: Lena Luthor has always known, somehow, that she's belonged to the stars. She just never understood that it was in more ways than one.Or, the Lena Luthor as Green Lantern AU in which she was chosen at a young age but doesn't remember, and a certain blonde alien helps her become the hero she was always destined to be.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I've always loved the idea of Green Lantern Lena that supercorps have always been talking about, but never got around to it until [supercorp-shipper](https://supercorp-shipper.tumblr.com/) on tumblr sent me a list of prompts that included a picture of Lena as Green Lantern, which can be found: [here](https://maybeimsloanely.tumblr.com/post/157445688519/wip-im-trash-bye-ill-put-lenas-legs-back-later) by the original artist, [maybeimsloanely](https://maybeimsloanely.tumblr.com) on tumblr.
> 
> Sorry in advance for all the ridiculous green lantern references that I know way too much about. Also, more characters and tags to be added later once there's more chapters.

The ground came upon Lena quickly, dirt flying everywhere from the force of Lena’s body. Her body ached all over and she couldn’t help but grown as she rolled over and pushed herself up. She barely glanced at the small crater she had just made, too busy navigating the field filled with more craters just like it.

“Again.” Her instructor, Ms. Lane, stared at her, hands on her hips and face expressionless.

Lena sighed, clutching at her stomach as it twisted in pain sharply. “What? That wasn’t good enough for you? I didn’t hurt myself  _badly_ enough for your satisfaction?”

All Ms. Lane said was, “Again.”

Lena threw her hands up in frustration. “What is the point of all this anyway? All I’m doing is falling, over and over again. When do I get to learn to do something  _real_ ?”

Ms. Lane stepped closer toward Lena, her eyes sharp and narrow. Despite the fact that Lena was the one with superpowers, she was terrified of her instructor. “This is  _real_ , Lena. You will fall more times than anything else you do. Before you can learn to gain control of your powers, before you can  _succeed_ , you must learn to fail. Do I make myself clear?”

“What about all the falling I’ve done this afternoon tells you I _haven’t_ learned to fail yet?” Lena wasn’t usually this petulant—that was Lex’s job—but she was tired and aching. There were very few times she behaved like the sixteen year old she actually was, but right now it was warranted. Perhaps the more she acted as an annoying teenager, the sooner Ms. Lane would get irritated and let her go home. 

“Does it hurt when you fall?” Ms. Lane asked.

That had to be the dumbest question Lena had ever heard. “Of course it hurts! I’m falling hundreds of miles through the sky!”

“Then you haven’t learned anything,” Ms. Lane said, as if that cleared things up perfectly. She nodded up at the gray, cloud-covered sky. “Again, Lena.”

“Maybe if you actually _taught_ me something I’d learn something for once!” Lena resisted the urge to stomp her foot, finally understanding why Lex did that motion so many times. It wasn’t her fault she couldn’t do everything Ms. Lane expected her to do when she had no idea what it was she was supposed to do. She simply told Lena to do an action and then scolded her when she didn’t do it right. It was completely _exhausting._

“I’m not the one in possession of that ring.” Ms. Lane sounded almost bitter, as if she deserved the ring of the Green Lanterns instead of Lena. Most days Lena felt that she did. “I shouldn’t have to tell you how to do these things because you should already _know_. Why else would the ring choose you above anyone else?”

“I don’t know!” Lena gripped the ring on her finger tightly. Ms. Lane acted as if the ring would give Lena all the answers, but the truth was that Lena didn’t know anything about the ring or the Green Lanterns or why she was so special. All she knew was the ring showed up one day with a message that she would be Earth’s new Lantern. The next day Ms. Lane showed up claiming Lantern Cruz had sent her to train Lena. A week later and Lena found herself standing in her backyard littered with tiny craters and still completely clueless. 

“You can’t rely on me for all the answers, Lena,” Ms. Lane said. “You must search within yourself.”

Lena had had enough. She tugged at the ring until it slipped off her finger. “You know what? Since you seem to know all the answers, why don’t you take the ring? Why don’t you become the new Green Lantern of Earth or whatever the hell I’m supposed to be.” She threw the ring at Ms. Lane’s feet.

“It doesn’t work that way, Lena,” Ms. Lane sighed. “Lena!”

Lena brushed past her and stomped her way back to the house. When she’d first received the ring she loved the idea of being a superhero, but now she realized she just wasn’t cut out for it. She didn’t mind so much, though. Now that her little flirtation with heroics was done, she could get back to what she truly cared about: inventing.

“Lena!” Ms. Lane called after her. Lena imagined her clutching the ring in one hand, careful not to drop it as she trudged behind Lena. “Come back here right now!”

Lena ignored her, shoving her hands into the pockets of her track pants. Her fingers hit something in her right pocket and she pulled it out, confused. These pants were brand new and as far as Lena was aware, she hadn’t put anything into the pockets.  Much less a bright green ring with the symbol of the Green Lanterns.

“What the—”

Lena was cut off by an explosion that sent her flying through the air. She landed on the ground in a twisted position, one that Ms. Lane would certainly scoff at. Now she understood the importance of learning how to fall. It was a little too late for that, though.

Lena slipped the ring onto her finger and her workout clothes transformed into a glowing green suit and a mask fit over her eyes. She surveyed the backyard which had turned into a field of smoke and flames. Her instructor had  to be out there, Ms. Lane had to be alive. Despite what Lena had said just moments before, she desperately needed Ms. Lane. 

Lena covered her eyes with her arm as she traversed through the smoke, searching for her teacher. Ms. Lane had to be alive. She had to be. Lena refused to think of any other option.

The breath was knocked out of her as she took a step forward and her foot landed in the air. She tumbled down into a large crater, far larger and far deeper than any of the ones Lena had made. Dirt flew into her face as she rolled over and over down the hill until she landed in the center of the crater.

Lena coughed the dirt out of her lungs and stood up, trying to figure out what was right in front of her. The smoke was thicker here and Lena could hardly see two inches in front of her. It was a struggle to even keep her eyes open for a significant amount of time without them stinging.

She heard voices coming from somewhere in the crater so she followed them, practically crawling to avoid the smoke. Perhaps it was Ms. Lane, talking to Lex or her parents, telling them to get somewhere safe. Once she found them, everything would be okay.

But when the smoke started to clear and Lena could make out the shape of the people—or whatever they were—speaking she knew that she was in great danger.

A tall skinny being with bright purple skin and a mustache one might find on a villain in a children’s cartoon was speaking to a  tall winged creature with light blue skin. The strangest thing was that they both wore similar suits to Lena’s Green Lantern suit, though the purple creature wore yellow and the blue wore red. If Lena had known there were other colors she would have chosen red instead.

“If my calculations are correct,” the purple creature said, pointing to a strange device, “the new Green Lantern should be right—”

“There,” the blue creature growled, staring directly at Lena.

“No,” the purple creature said, jabbing his finger into the device. She should be behind us, not—oh. You’re right.”

The purple creature had turned and found Lena in front of him, disheveled and terrified. His lips curled into a sinister smile as he took in Lena.

“Oh, this will be _easy_ , Bleez,” the purple creature said to their companion, “don’t you agree?”

The blue creature—who was apparently called Bleez—snickered and when they spoke, they did it in a high, squeaky voice. “I knew the Green Lanterns were foolish, Sinestro, but I never expected them to be so utterly  _stupid_ .”

Lena had no idea what these creatures had in mind for her, but whatever it was, it wasn’t good. But she hadn’t been killed yet, so she did the only thing she could think to do in that moment.

She ran.

Lena stumbled as she ran toward the crater walls, frantically climbing them. Once she was a safe distance she would concentrate and try to create something that would help her get away. Nevermind the fact that she’d never had enough willpower to actually make a construct, but she would deal with that when the time came.

It was embarrassing  how easily the creatures caught up to Lena. The blue one, Bleez, grabbed Lena around the waist and pulled her back to the center of the crater. Bleez dropped her carelessly onto the ground and stood above her with their arms crossed and a smirk on their face.

The other one—Sinestro, Lena thought she heard—sauntered over to Lena. “They’re really struggling to find good recruits, aren’t they?”

Lena tried to sit up, but Bleez knocked her back down with a strong kick. Bleez kept Lena down with a foot pressing down onto her chest, making it hard for her to breathe.

“I really wish you’d put up more of a fight,” Sinestro sighed as they knelt down beside Lena and picked up her hand. “Then I’d certainly recruit you. The Red Lanterns still might—”

“Not a chance,” Bleez interrupted with a snicker.

“Well then,” Sinestro laughed, “I guess we have no choice but to kill you. But first,” Sinestro pulled the ring off Lena’s finger easily, “I’ll need this ring.”

“Wh—” Lena struggled to get the words out with the pressure on her chest. “Who… _ar-are_ y-you?”

Sinestro shook their head. “It won’t matter in a second. At least your precious Green Lanterns can rest easy knowing you didn’t suffer. You aren’t worth that much trouble. Bleez? Would you do  the honors?”

Bleez grinned. “With pleasure.”

Lena squeezed her eyes shut. When she received that ring just a week ago how could she have known this was how it would end?

“ _Sinestro_!” Bleez shouted suddenly, causing Lena to open her eyes again.

A bright green light blasted through the crater, knocking the breath out of Lena. She heard Sinestro and Bleez screaming in pain. When the light faded, Lena saw, out of the corner of her eyes, Sinestro and Bleez crawling back to their ship.

“Go, Bleez, go!” Sinestro shouted. “She’ll kill us!”

They shut the door of their ship just as someone in a Green Lantern suit landed softly on the ground. The Lantern watched the creatures go before turning to Lena. She had a soft, reassuring smile as she  knelt beside Lena.

“I’m going to get you to a hospital,” the Lantern told her. “Where’s your ring?”

Lena coughed. “They took it.”

“You don’t have it?” The Lantern looked worried now, as if she was no longer as in control as she thought.

“What were they?” Lena asked. Her vision began to blur.

“Nothing for you to worry about,” the Lantern said as she conjured a device from her pocket. “At least not anymore.” She held up the device and a white light flashed into Lena’s eyes.

When Lena woke up in the hospital bed hours later, she remembered nothing from the previous week.


	2. A Star Falls from the Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena starts to remember.

Every so often Lena felt an irresistible pull to the vast galaxy outside her window. She would stay late at the office sometimes just so she could stare out the huge window, wondering why it felt as if the stars were calling to her. Then her alarm would go off and Lena would realize she’d spent hours watching the sky, waiting for something, _anything_ to change.

Of course, nothing ever did.

She always went home every night, dreamed of nothing, and woke up the next morning and showed up at her brother’s giant building for work. Not that Lex ever let her do anything significant, such as work on the machines or invent something new. She was little more than a glorified secretary at Luthor Corp.

The sky didn’t want her, and neither did her brother.

“What the fuck is this, Lena?”

Lena looked away from the window and turned to find her brother storming into the room, Jess, her secretary, doing nothing to stop him. She rolled her eyes and sighed. Lex always seemed to be angry about something or other and she was too used to dealing with his tantrums.

“Good morning, my dear brother,” Lena said, “is there something I can help you with?”

Lex slammed a packet of papers onto her desk. “Care to explain?”

Lena barely glanced at the papers. She could guess what they were. “Care to explain what it is about these plans that upset you so much?”

Lex laughed and picked up one of the papers. “’The Luthor Corp brand has become a symbol of terror in this new world of innovation and technology. In the future, we would like to look toward reinventing ourselves as a company for the people, rather than one interested in scare-mongering and fear tactics.’” He looked down at Lena, expecting her to understand immediately what the problem with that sentiment was.

Lena shrugged carelessly. “And your point is…?”

Lex leaned onto her desk, leering over her. “You think Luthor Corp is some kind of weapons company.”

Lena stood, forcing Lex to keep level eye contact with her. “Is Luthor Corp _not_ some kind of weapons company?”

Lex laughed. “Of _course_ Luthor Corp is a weapons company! But that’s not what our branding is about. It’s about protecting the people, trying to usher in a new era of peace with our technology.”

“By killing people.” Lena raised an eyebrow. “You think you’re fooling the people, but you have to understand that people aren’t as stupid as you think they are.”

“Of course they,” Lex spit. “People only know what you tell them. I tell them my number one priority is to protect them and believe that. By re-branding,” Lex waved the paper around, “you’re telling them that that was never our priority. You’re telling them not to believe anything we tell them.”

Lena turned away from him, searching in her desk for a copy of the Daily Planet. She shoved it in Lex’s chest as she walked around him, searching for her carafe of water. As she sipped from her glass she watched as Lex scanned the page quickly, his features twisting and his teeth clenching.

“Don’t do _that_ ,” Lena said. “You’ll get wrinkles. I know how much you care about your appearance.”

Lex threw the newspaper down at Lena’s feet. “When were you going to tell me about this article?”

“I tried to tell you weeks ago but it seems that you no longer have time to listen to what I have to say. Obviously I had to do something drastic.”

“So you just wrote this report to get my attention?” Lex shook his head as he laughed. “I have to admit, dear sister, that’s not quite as dramatic as your other moves.”

“You’re right,” Lena said, reaching for the remote to turn the TV on. “It would have been more dramatic to send that report to Lois Lane at the Daily Planet and request that she publish it as soon as possible.” When the TV clicked on it was already tuned into the Metropolis local news station. The anchors were speaking with experts about the latest news about Luthor Corp re-branding, just as they had been doing all day.

Lex stared at the TV in disbelief. “You didn’t.”

“I did.” Lena watched the TV in satisfaction. Admittedly, when she first thought about sending the report to Lois she wasn’t completely sure she would do the right thing with it. But something in her gut told her that she could trust Lois, which was a feeling she was unfamiliar. Now, she was glad she had listened to that strange feeling.

“You and that Lane woman,” Lex sputtered. “I should have known. You always got along with her so well.”

Lena turned back to look at him as he seethed. “What are you talking about?” Before she had sent Lois that report she had never had any contact with her. But Lex acted as if they had known each other for a long time.

“Nevermind,” Lex said. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you betrayed not only me, but this entire company. You give me no choice, Lena, but to fire you.”

“You can’t fire me,” Lena laughed. “I own just as much of this company as you do.”

“Correction, I own more of this company than you do.” Lex smiled.

“When our father died—”

“—I received the majority his shares,” Lex interrupted. His face was smug, as if he had just won a game Lena hadn’t realized they were playing. “You remember Mother was meant to receive half the company and us the other half? She gave me her shares, just to make sure I stayed in control, made sure you didn’t do something to ruin the company. Which, it seems, you just did. So I’m firing you.”

Lena stepped closer to him, pushing a finger into his chest. “Father would have agreed with my decision. And you know it.”

Lex easily waved Lena’s arm away. “Father was too soft on you and _you_ know it. You never deserved any of the love he gave you.”

Tears began to sting at the corners of Lena’s eyes, but she kept her composure. If Lex taught her anything it was to never show the effect anyone had on her. “And you deserve none of the admiration Mother has for you.”

Lena could see Lex’s eyes narrow, just slightly. He may have mastered hiding his emotions, but he was also the one who taught Lena. She knew every one of his signs.

“ _Get. Out._ ”

Lena gathered her coat and purse. “With pleasure.”

Of course she had known Lex would be angry when she wrote the report, but she never expected this to be the outcome. She had even expected him to bring it up with their mother, Lillian, and request that she make the executive decision to get rid of Lena. She had expected Lillian to tell Lex that it was their father’s request that Lena and Lex work together at Luthor Corp and Lex must honor that.

She had never expected that she would be walking through the doors of Luthor Corp, never to come back again.

Lena’s mind was a complete blank as she made her way to the parking garage and started her car. All she could manage to think about was the road ahead of her, but even that she barely paid attention to. She took unfamiliar exits, leading her far, far away from the city and down country roads.

There was nothing but empty roads and golden fields as far as Lena could see, and she liked it that way.

She had no destination in mind. Perhaps she would drive until she ran out of gas. Perhaps she would drive until she found some grimy motel where she could stay the night and pretend she was another person. Perhaps she would drive until she _was_ a new person.

No matter what she did, she would drive until she forgot about her family.

She forgot about her family much quicker than she thought she would, though, when she noticed something flying through the air, dangerously close to the road. The moment she realized it was a _person_ rather than some kind of bird, they crashed into the field on the side of the road, sending dirt and dust splattering out into the road.

Lena swerved to avoid huge chunks of dirt crashing into her windows and pulled off to the side of the road, waiting for the dust to clear. Once it did, rather than continuing on her way, she got out of the car and searched the fields for the person.

It wasn’t hard to find where they had landed since their impact had managed to form a deep crater in the field. In the center lay a figure wearing a bright blue and red suit.

Lena reached for her phone, but predictably there was no signal. She groaned and took off her heels before carefully making her way down the crater’s walls. The person in the center started to move and tried to sit up.

Lena stopped, watching the person curiously, trying to figure out what their next move would be. Would they be hostile and attack Lena on sight or would they be confused and accept Lena’s help?

The person turned in Lena’s direction and stared at her in wonder. A flash passed through Lena’s mind, of a strange creature wearing a red suit giving her a similar look. But just as it quickly as the image came, it left before Lena could grasp at it.

“Don’t come any closer!” the person shouted. They planted their hands on the ground and struggled to push themselves up. They made it about halfway before they fell back down.

Lena held her hands up. It was the oddest thing, how she wasn’t scared by this person, or even remotely surprised that they were still alive and had made such a huge impact. “I’m just here to help you.”

“I don’t need your help!” the person shouted. “I’m—I’m dangerous! Keep your distance!”

Still Lena couldn’t leave this person alone. “Is there something I can do for you?”

“You can leave!” They didn’t sound angry, just terrified. As if they didn’t _want_ to hurt Lena, but was afraid they would. “Please! I can’t—I can’t control—”

A beam of light shot through the air and seemed to be coming from the person’s eyes. Lena had never seen anything like it, and yet, she couldn’t shake the idea that it wasn’t the weirdest thing she’d ever seen in her life.

The beam of light disappeared as the person covered their eyes. “I’m—I’m sorry! I didn’t mean—I didn’t _want—_ ”

“It’s okay,” Lena said calmly. She took a step, slowly making her way towards the person. “Just calm down.”

The person glanced up and pushed themselves away. “Get away! You’ll get hurt!”

“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Lena said. “If you aren’t scared, you won’t lose control.”

“ _Lena! You must gain control of your powers!”_

“ _I can’t! What if I hurt you?”_

“ _You can’t be afraid of hurting me. You must be calm. Once you’re not scared, you’ll gain back your control.”_

Lena shook the voice out of her head. It sounded familiar, comforting even, but she had no idea where it had come from. She’d think about that later, though, right now she had to make sure this person was safe.

“How do I do that?” the person said, their voice shaking. “How can I stop being scared?”

“ _Breathe, Lena, breathe.”_

“Breathe,” Lena said calmly. “Just breathe slowly. In…and out. Like that.”

Lena continued her approach, coaching the person on their breathing. Their body seemed to sag as they breathed slow and long breaths.

“Keep going,” Lena said. “Don’t think, just keep breathing.”

The closer Lena got, the closer she could make out the details of the person before her. They appeared to be just a normal woman who had long blonde hair that, though messy and tangled from the fall, still seemed to shine in the sunlight. Her suit was skin-tight, letting Lena see thick muscles beneath the fabric. She swallowed thickly and forced herself to look elsewhere.

Her eyes drifted to the woman’s chest, where a symbol presented itself in bold, bright red. It was the letter “S” outlined in a triangle. Lena reached out to touch it and the woman’s eyes snapped open. They were a bright, piercing blue that mesmerized Lena.

“What are you doing?” the woman whispered. “You’re too close.”

Her breathing began to speed up again. Lena looked into the woman’s eyes and held her gaze, breathing slowly, trying to get her to do the same.

“Who are you?” the woman asked once she had calmed down. They continued staring into Lena’s eyes.

“I’m Lena,” she said. “I just want to help you.”

“I think I’m beyond help.”

Lena shook her head. She believed there were some people in her life that actually were beyond help and this woman was nothing like them. She had managed to calm herself down and keep control long enough to not hurt Lena. She was far from beyond help.

“Is there somewhere I can take you?” Lena asked. “Where you’ll be safe?”

The woman shook her head fervently. “Nowhere is safe. Lena—I’m not safe. You should go, they’ll be here soon. They’ll kill you—”

“Calm down,” Lena said again. “Remember to breathe—”

She grabbed Lena’s shoulders suddenly. “They’re coming. They’re coming for me. Please go. Get somewhere safe.”

It was useless to try and keep the woman calm at this point. “Who? Who’s coming?”

“The Lanterns.”

“ _You are a Green Lantern, Lena.”_

“Who the hell are the Lanterns?” Lena asked.

She was nearly gasping for air now. “They’re bad news, Lena. They’ll give you no mercy.”

“ _They’re protectors, Lena. They’re here to help.”_

“What do they want with you?” Lena asked. The woman was starting to close her eyes and lose consciousness. Lena couldn’t lose her yet. “Don’t—don’t leave me. Who _are_ you?”

“ _Lois. Lois Lane.”_

She blinked her eyes open and stared up at Lena. “Kara. Just—Kara.”

Kara’s eyes slipped shut and her arm fell to her side. A green ring fell out of her hand and rolled down onto the ground until it landed right at Lena’s feet. She picked it up and stared at the strange symbol—a circle with lines on the top and bottom—imprinted there. She could have sworn she had never seen this ring or this symbol before and yet, somehow, she knew it belonged to her.

Lena slipped the ring onto her finger.

“Lantern Luthor _,_ ” a voice emanated from the ring, “welcome back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm hoping to update this once a week, but please bear with me if I'm a few days late sometimes as life happens. Looking forward to seeing your reactions!


	3. Who She Could Have Been

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena discovers that the world is not so simple as she once thought it was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies in advance for how short this chapter is. I am aiming for the chapters from here on out to be longer.

It seemed as if the symbol on the ring was a face and it was giving Lena a disappointed look as she stared down at it in astonishment. There must have been some kind of speaker on the ring, or a camera, for it to have known that Lena had put it on. She brought it up to her lips.

“Hello?” she said, hoping it was close enough for the speaker to pick up.

“There’s no need for that, Lantern Luthor,” the ring said. “I can hear you just fine regardless of distance.”

Lena took off the ring, searching for the speaker or the camera or _something_ that would help her make sense of all this. She found nothing, no tiny markings or small divots that told her there was someone on another end. As far as she could tell, it was actually the ring talking to her.

But that was impossible.

Lena threw the ring back onto the ground. Whoever that woman was, she wasn’t normal. That ring wasn’t normal. Nothing about this situation was normal in the slightest. All Lena wanted to do was get back to her normal life and forget any of this ever happened.

She couldn’t go back to normal, though, not now. Not when there was a nearly dead woman lying at her feet and a strange ring that knew her last name. She should call for an ambulance, but her phone had no signal. She could try to find the nearest police station or hospital or even someone’s home, but that could be miles away and the woman—Kara, she reminded herself—could be dead by then.

The ring lay in the dirt, silently calling to Lena. Though she was unable to find a speaker or a camera, that didn’t mean there wasn’t one there. Perhaps she could ask the ring to call 911 for her and the person on the other side would help her out. She might as well try, there was nothing to lose.

When she put the ring back on, a feeling of comfort and relaxation came over her. She felt better, more secure with the ring on her finger, though she had no idea why.

“Lantern Luthor,” the ring said, “is there something you require of me?”

There must have been a camera and the person on the other side of it must have seen Lena struggling and known that they needed help. That was the only logical explanation.

“Yes,” Lena said, still feeling awkward about talking to a ring. “Could you call 911 for me?”

A few seconds passed. The symbol on the ring stared up at her blankly. Finally, the ring spoke. “I am afraid that is not within my capabilities, Lantern Luthor.”

“I don’t understand,” Lena said. “You can’t pick up a phone and dial 911?”

“I have no hands,” the ring said. Though there was no hint of sarcasm or teasing, Lena couldn’t help but feel as if the ring had said it that way. “But I can locate the nearest hospital for you and bring you there, if that is what you wish.”

“Bring me—” Lena shook her head. She must have heard wrong. “How can you bring me there?”

“By flying, of course,” the ring said. Still the voice was monotone, but it sounded slightly confused. “Would you like me to fly you to the nearest hospital, Lantern Luthor?”

Lena shook her head, laughing. Surely, she must be losing her mind. But she had to admit she was curious. “Sure. Fly me to the nearest hospital.”

“As you wish, Lantern Luthor,” the ring said.

Before Lena understood what was happening, she was pulled into the air and flung across the sky. There were times in her life where she had dreamed of flying high above the clouds, leaving this world behind and becoming someone knew. In her dreams, though, it was always freeing and peaceful.

This was nothing like that.

The wind whipped her in the face, stinging her eyes. She struggled to breathe as she flew, going so fast that the colors of the fields beneath her made her sick to her stomach. When she finally, _thankfully_ , landed on safe, solitary ground, she leaned down and threw up.

“Are you alright there, ma’am?”

Lena glanced up briefly to see a doctor rushing toward her, concern written all over her face. The doctor reached for Lena, pulling back her messed-up hair and rubbing a soothing hand over her back.

“It’s—” Lena gasped, “it’s not-it’s not me. I’m-I’m fi-ine.”

“Are you sure about that?” the doctor said, giving Lena a reassuring smile. “Come on, let’s get you checked in.”

The doctor reached for Lena, but Lena pulled away from her. “There’s a woman,” Lena panted. “She’s hurt. I came here to get help for her.”

The doctor turned serious suddenly. “Where is she?”

“She’s, uh, she’s…” Lena struggled to remember where she had stopped along the highway. She had barely been paying attention to where she was going before the crash, and she certainly wasn’t thinking about her location after she found the woman. “I don’t know where she is.”

“Thirty-four miles west from here,” the ring offered. “Just past mile marker one-hundred and forty-five.”

“What was that?” the doctor asked, glancing down where the voice had come from.

Lena slapped her hand on top of the ring. “That was my phone. It keeps track of my location for me. You can find the woman about thirty miles west from here, a little past mile 145.”

The doctor nodded and gestured to a couple of paramedics. “Get an ambulance ready!” she called to them. She turned back to Lena. “We’ll get her taken care of, I promise. But you don’t look so great yourself. Go get looked at, tell them Dr. Alex Danvers sent you.”

The doctor—Dr. Danvers—started to turn, but Lena pulled her back to face her. “Make sure she’s alright,” Lena whispered. “Don’t let her die.”

Dr. Danvers nodded, probably assuming that this woman Lena was so worried about was someone close to her, someone she cared about more than anything else in the world. Yet, Lena couldn’t find it in herself to tell the doctor that the woman meant nothing to her.

If Lena was being honest, Kara did mean _something_ to her, even if it was the smallest, most insignificant _something_ in the world. She had a ring in her hand, a ring that could talk and make Lena fly and somehow knew Lena’s name. Whoever this Kara woman was, she had something to do with Lena.

“Take care of yourself,” Dr. Danvers said. “I’ll be sure to let you know once the woman is safe.”

Dr. Danvers steered Lena in the direction of the hospital doors, making sure that Lena was okay before leaving in the ambulance. Instead of checking herself in, though, Lena went straight for the bathroom, locked the door and held up the ring.

“Okay,” Lena whispered, “what the hell is going on here?”

“Could you please be more specific, Lantern Luthor?” the ring asked.

“Stop calling me that,” Lena hissed. “I don’t know what it means.”

Somewhere in the back of her mind she heard that voice telling Lena that she was a Green Lantern. Kara had mentioned something about the Lanterns as well. But she seemed to be afraid of them.

“What’s a Lantern?” Lena asked.

“The Green Lantern Corps exist to protect the universe from threats to the safety of innocent lives,” the ring recited. “They value bravery and willpower above all attributes. There are 3,600 sectors being protected by 7, 200 members of the Corps.”

Lena stared at the ring. While the ring had _technically_ answered her question, it didn’t help her understand anything. It just made her even more confused.

“I have three masters degrees and one PhD,” Lena said, “and none of that made any sense.”

“The Green Lantern Corps exist—”

“Stop!” Lena pressed her palm to her forehead, trying to get rid of the headache that had started to pound behind her skull. “You don’t need to repeat it. Just—explain what this has to do with me. Why do you know my name? And who was that woman?”

“Lena Kieran Luthor, Green Lantern Corps member of sector 2,814, also known as Earth. You received the ring eight years ago as a result of—”

“Wait.” The ring immediately stopped talking. “Eight years ago? I’ve never—I never received a ring eight years ago. I think I would have remembered something like this. Right?”

Even as Lena said that, she knew it wasn’t true. She had had those flashes of memories when she found Kara, ones that told her that there was something missing from her past.

The ring paused for a moment before responding, “If my calculations are correct, you have been affected with a memory altering substance. I will contact Lantern Cruz right away.”

“Don’t!” Lena wanted to know more about all this, but there were more important things she needed to deal with before she brought someone new into the situation. Especially if that someone knew was another Lantern. “Not yet. First I need you to tell me about the woman. Who is she and what happened to her?”

“Kara Zor-El, Red Lantern Corps member,” the ring stated. “Originally from the planet Krypton before it was destroyed twelve years ago.”

“So she’s an alien?” Lena said, thankful that the ring was speaking slower now so she could keep up. “And she’s a Lantern like I am?”

“Not quite. The Red Lanterns’ sole purpose is to infect the world with rage and tear apart cultures and societies. The Green Lanterns want to protect. The Red Lanterns want to destroy.”

Lena felt as if she had been punched in the gut. Although she had hardly known Kara it seemed like a betrayal to learn that she was a Red Lantern, her natural enemy—apparently. When she had knelt down beside Kara and spoken to her there had been a sense of familiarity and trust between them. That wouldn’t have been there if Kara was truly her enemy, would it?

“Lantern Luthor,” the ring interrupted Lena’s thoughts, “your pulse indicates distress. Is there something wrong?”

Everything was wrong. This day was not going the way she thought and she was learning that her past was all a lie.

“Hey! Are you done in there?” Someone banged loudly on the door.

“My sensors indicate there is someone at the door,” the ring said.

“No shit.” Lena stuffed the ring into her jacket pocket and opened the door. She smiled at the angry looking woman on the other side. “I’m sorry I took so long. I hope you weren’t waiting too long.”

The woman huffed and shoved past her before slamming the door in Lena’s face.

After asking at the front desk if Kara had arrived, Lena sat down in the waiting area and watched the front door. Despite what the ring had said about Kara’s allegiance, she still knew something that Lena didn’t and Lena was going to get all the information she could out of Kara. About the Lanterns, about the ring, and about her past. She just had to wait around first.

She searched through the magazines, all dated from over two years ago. She turned her attention to the TV, where the local news was discussing some event at the retirement home. She sighed and sat back in her chair and glanced around the room, trying to figure out how each person had ended up in the same exact place as her. She guessed none of their stories were as crazy as hers.

Lena caught the eye of another man staring back at her, with such an intensity that she could almost feel holes being burned into her skin. Even when she noticed his stare he didn’t look away, he just kept studying her with a curious expression on his face.

“What’s your problem?” Lena shouted across the room. A couple people looked up in surprise before deciding it wasn’t worth their attention.

The man cocked his head to the side, narrowing his eyes slightly.

Lena sighed and got out of her seat. She stood right in front of the man and glared down at him. Still, he didn’t look away. “Who the hell are you and what is your problem?”

“Lena Luthor?” he asked.

“Most people who have picked up a newspaper at least once in their lives knows my name,” Lena said, rolling her eyes. “I’m guessing you’re not a fan of my work?”

“On the contrary,” he said. “Now, I believe you have something that belongs to me.”

Lena raised an eyebrow. “I’m quite certain I’ve never met you before. How could I have something that belongs to you?”

He glanced down and nodded at her coat pocket. “What’s that you have got in your pocket then?”

Lena studied him carefully. He appeared to be human, but then again, so did Kara. Yet he seemed to know that she not only had the ring, but where she was keeping it.

“Are you a Lantern?” Lena whispered.

“Lantern Brainiac-5 of Sector 764.” He held out his hand. “The ring, please.”

Lena glanced around, but no one seemed to be paying any attention to what was surely the strangest conversation in the world. She pushed her hand into her pocket and curled her fingers around the ring protectively.

“The ring said it belonged to me,” Lena said quietly. “Why would I give it to you?”

“There are things you have yet to understand, Lantern Luthor,” Brainiac-5 said. He flexed his fingers. “Until then, I will keep the ring for safe-keeping.”

“Like Kara Zor-El did?” Lena asked.

Brainiac-5 seemed taken aback, surprised that she knew more than he thought. Good, she had caught him off-guard.

“How do you know about Kara Zor-El?” he asked, glancing around suspiciously.

“Where do you think I found the ring?”

Brainiac-5 stood up suddenly. “You took it from her?”

“Yes, I don’t see what you’re—”

“You must leave as quickly as possible. She wants the ring and she is willing to do anything to retrieve it. Give me the ring and I will make sure it stays safe from her.”

Brainiac-5’s eyes were wide and fearful and Lena felt her heartbeat quicken. But she didn’t trust Brainiac-5 nearly as much as she felt she had trusted Kara, and Kara turned out to be bad news. She squeezed her fingers tightly around the ring.

“I can’t do that,” Lena told him. “I can’t give the ring to someone I don’t trust.”

“I am a Lantern,” Brainiac-5 insisted. “You can trust me more than anyone else in the world. So long as you have the ring, you are in danger. I am sorry, Lantern Luthor, but you are not equipped to handle the Red Lanterns and especially not Kara Zor-El.”

Lena hesitated as a memory flashed through her mind. Two creatures, standing above her, wearing red and yellow suits, laughing at her, mocking her. Brainiac-5 was probably right, but Lena still felt a protection over the ring.

She may be in danger, but so long as the ring was in her hands, she felt complete.

“Lantern Luthor,” Brainiac-5 said, “you must give me the ring. Now. Before she finds you.”

Lena heard the doors burst open behind her. She whirled around and saw Dr. Danvers wheeling a gurney through the lobby, a body with bright blonde hair lying on top of it. _Kara Zor-El._

“Too late,” Lena muttered. When she spun back around to face Brainiac-5, he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, sorry for the short length and that this was mostly filler, but it's a good connection for next week's chapter. More Luthor family drama to come and the kindling of supercorp romance!


	4. Destroy or Protect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena thinks Lex and her mother are up to something and the hospital she's taken Kara to isn't all that it seems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, a short chapter! I know I said chapters would start getting longer, but I had zero time to write this week. I wanted to get something out, though, so here you go! Enjoy and thanks for reading!

The doctors wouldn’t let Lena in to see Kara at least until she was stable. They refused to even tell her what was wrong with Kara until a family member arrived. The only problem, they would soon find, was that Kara didn’t have any family. At least, not here on Earth.

All Lena could do was wait and wonder. Kara had information that Lena desperately wanted, but if Brainiac-5 was to be believed, then Lena had to be very careful around her.

Minutes passed with still no news about Kara. Lena noticed the nurses gathering around the counter, whispering about the unconscious woman who had no hospital records to be found. Since Lena was apparently the only person in the hospital who knew of Kara’s identity she thought there should be an exception made. But it might be a little hard to explain to the nurses how Lena knew someone named Kara Zor-El from another planet called Krypton.

Lena took her attention away from the nurses to watch the TV again, expecting more of the same uninteresting stories from the news. Instead she found her own face plastered on the screen, the headline across the bottom reading, “Lena Luthor ousted from Luthor Corp.”

Lena jumped up from her seat and walked over to the TV, trying to make out what the reporter was saying from the low volume.

“—say that the board voted this morning to fire the CBO, Lena Luthor, after multiple cases of negligence while operating in the company.”

Lena rolled her eyes. Right, the board fired her for _negligence_.

“To comment, we have here with us Lillian Luthor, the COO of Luthor Corp and mother of Lena Luthor and current CEO, Lex Luthor. Ms. Luthor, what do you make of this decision?”

Lena’s mother appeared on the screen, her hair pulled back tightly and a sly grin taking over her face. Lena grit her teeth at the sight of her mother.

“Although it is incredibly upsetting for me to see my children be forced to stop working together,” Lillian said, pulling a faux-disappointed expression, “I fear that this is the best decision for the sake of the company. She made multiple errors regarding records and even worked for the _detriment_ of the company.”

“The reports say that Miss Luthor neglected her responsibilities, though it doesn’t go into specifics,” the reporter said, flitting through sheets of paper. Lex must have had this release ready to go this morning, before he had even told Lena the news. “Can you enlighten us on the details of this decision?”

“While most of this is meant to be confidential,” Lillian said, a smirk playing on the corner of her lips, “I can tell you that Lena was actively destroying plans for new technologies.”

The reporter’s eyes widened at the same time Lena’s did. This was just as surprising news to her, even though she apparently did it.

“Can you elaborate on that, Ms. Luthor?” the reporter asked, leaning forward in her seat.

“Certainly,” Lillian said. She was all too eager to dish all the details despite the fact that they’re supposed to be confidential. “She apparently did not approve of all the innovations we were coming up with and in fact sold the plans not just to our competitors, but other countries, particularly the weapons.”

“Why would she do something like that?” the reporter asked. The banner on the bottom quickly changed to “Former Luthor Corp CBO sold weapons to other countries.” Lena couldn’t believe it and wanted to know what kind of terrible motivation her mother would come up with.

Apparently Lillian wasn’t feeling too creative that day because she just shrugged her shoulders and responded, “I have no idea. She refused to divulge any information, but we are looking into her and making sure she does not have any access to our plans or technology. Our consumers’ safety is of the utmost importance.”

“That seems to be all the time we have,” the reporter said, satisfied at the juicy information she managed to get out of Lillian. Not that it was all that hard to get Lillian to talk. “Thank you so much for shedding some light on this situation, Ms. Luthor.”

“Of course,” Lillian said, smiling in a way that made Lena feel sick to her stomach.

The reporter quickly switched to another story, as if that interview hadn’t meant anything to them, like it didn’t just destroy Lena’s life.

It was obvious that Lex and her mother had it out for her, but Lena thought they just wanted her out of the picture, to stop her from making decisions that they didn’t agree with. But to ruin Lena’s reputation? They didn’t just want to keep her out of the picture, they wanted to destroy everything she has worked for.

The problem was, part of what Lillian had said was the truth. Lena didn’t approve of the technologies Luthor Corp was creating, but she would never sell those weapons to other countries. She never wanted them in anyone’s hands. Luthor Corp was dangerously close to becoming solely a weapons manufacturer, one that used fear tactics to promote their merchandise rather than encouraged peace. Lena hated the direction they were going, and she knew her father would have too, so she tried to stop it, tried to rebrand so Luthor Corp was a company that cared about protecting rather than harming.

Apparently Lex and Lillian had other ideas.

Lena needed to get back to Metropolis, talk to the board, and make sure they understood her side of the story. Getting rid of Lena may have been the first step of a much bigger plan, and though Lena couldn’t do much on her own, Lex and Lillian couldn’t do anything without the board’s approval. She just had to set up a meeting—

“Excuse me?”

Lena felt a tap on her shoulder and all thoughts of Luthor Corp and her family dissolved when she saw Dr. Danvers standing in front of her, her brows knit together and lip caught between her teeth.

Kara Zor-El. Right, there were other issues Lena had to deal with first.

“You’re the one who told us about the woman in the desert, right?” Dr. Danvers asked.

“I am,” Lena said. “Is she okay?”

Dr. Danvers glanced around the room before nodding. “Right. Follow me. I need to show you something.”

Lena raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Dr. Danvers hurried out of the waiting room, barely glancing behind her to see if Lena was following. Lena had to practically run to keep up. The doctor led her down a bright, white hallway, where the doors to every room were shut tight. Everyone they passed kept their heads down or spoke in whispers. Lena has only been to hospitals a few times in her life, but she never knew them to be so secretive.

Dr. Danvers stopped suddenly and slid a keycard to unlock the door. She grabbed Lena and pulled her into the room quickly before locking it again. She turned to face Lena, her eyes wide.

“I really shouldn’t be letting you back here,” Dr. Danvers said in a rushed voice. “But you were the one who found her, so maybe you can explain something to me.”

The doctor brushed past Lena to a hospital bed where Kara laid still, her hair in almost perfect condition and no signs of scratches or bruises marring her skin. If Lena didn’t know any better, she would’ve sworn this wasn’t the same woman she saw who’d crashed into the ground.

“Her heartbeat is fine, blood pressure’s okay, but...” Dr. Danvers grabbed a needle and tried to insert it into her skin. It poked at the skin, but never broke it. The doctor looked back up at Lena helplessly. “I don’t understand.”

Lena didn’t quite understand it either, but she knew more than Dr. Danvers. Not that she could enlighten her in any way.

“Will she wake up?” Lena asked instead of explaining. She wasn’t sure Dr. Danvers would believe her even if she did.

“As far as we can tell,” the doctor said, staring at Kara with a fascinated expression. “But this is weird, right? It’s not normal to be… impenetrable. You’re the one who found her, you have to know _something_.”

Dr. Danvers stared at her helplessly, desperate to understand. While Lena couldn’t tell her everything she wanted to know, she felt it was the right thing to do to let the doctor in on the basics.

“She fell out of the sky,” Lena said. “I was driving and I saw her fall and crash into the ground. And I’m fairly certain there wasn’t a crater there before. I saw that she was hurt and came here right away, but that’s all I know, I swear.”

Dr. Danvers stared at Kara, something clicking in her mind. “There have been things at this hospital, things that… that we’ve explained away so easily, but they still don’t make sense.”

“Sorry?” Lena said.

Dr. Danvers shook her head as if coming out of a trance. “Ignore that, I was talking to myself. Right. Let’s get her out of here.”

Lena blinked as the doctor rushed around the room, pulling plugs and grabbing medical supplies seemingly at random.

“Excuse me, Dr. Danvers?” Lena asked, holding onto a counter so she didn’t get knocked over by the scrambling doctor. “I’m not sure I know what’s going on.”

“What’s going on,” Dr. Danvers panted, “is that I don’t think this woman belongs here. Or—I guess she _does_ , but I don’t think any good will come of her staying here. I’ve seen people like her—people with unexplained conditions—get taken to a special unit, one I don’t even have clearance to get into, and they’ve never been discharged. But they didn’t have anyone waiting for them. They were alone.”

“So is she.” Even as Lena said those words, she knew it wasn’t true, not completely. Despite Brainiac-5’s claims, Lena was in it with Kara now. Kara might turn out to be the evil destroyer that Brainiac-5 and the ring told Lena she was, but Lena couldn’t leave Kara’s side so long as she knew about Lena’s past.

“She has you,” Dr. Danvers insisted in a way that implied Kara meant more to Lena than Lena thought. She wasn’t just a vessel of knowledge to Lena, she was something more significant. “Whether you like it or not, you’re the only person who knows anything about her. She’s in your hands.”

Lena thought about her mother’s interview. Lillian had spoken as if Lena was some kind of terrorist, who sought out harm and destruction. According to her mother, Lena certainly wasn’t someone who should protect this woman.

“ _The Green Lanterns want to protect. The Red Lanterns want to destroy.”_

It didn’t matter what Lillian said, the fact of the matter—according to a ring she just found—was that she was a Green Lantern, and Green Lanterns protected. If Kara was safe in anyone’s hands, it would be hers.

“Okay,” Lena said. She looked down at Kara and impulsively swiped a stray hair out of Kara’s eyes. “I’ll take care of her.”

Dr. Danvers nodded. “Great. So I can get us an ambulance to transport her, say I’m taking her to a better hospital in Metropolis, but I don’t have anywhere to bring her. Do you know a place where she’ll be safe or someone we can trust?”

Most places Lena could think of off the top of her head were owned by her family. Even her apartment was paid for by Luthor money and both Lex and Lillian had keys. They hardly ever went to the Luthor mansion anymore, but she couldn’t risk taking Kara there and having someone show up unannounced. To top it all off, most people she knew were associated with Luthor Corp in some way or another. Well, all except…

“ _Lois. Lois Lane.”_

_Lena stared at the stranger as she held out the strange ring that Lena had thrown out the night before. She wanted nothing to do with it, but it seemed the world wasn’t giving her a choice._

“ _I’m here to help you, Lena,” the woman said, taking a step closer. “You’re young, and I know you’re afraid, but that’s why I’m here. I want you to be the best Green Lantern you can be.”_

_Lena eyed the ring curiously. She couldn’t help but feel drawn to it. “Really? You’re not going to hurt me?”_

_The woman smiled. “I would never do anything to hurt you, Lena. Go ahead, take the ring.”_

That was why Lois Lane was always so friendly to Lena, why she was all too eager to print the press release. Lois didn’t have it out for the Luthors—necessarily—she simply cared about Lena. Not only that, but she knew about Lena’s past. Lois Lane knew about the Green Lanterns.

Lois Lane might even know about Kara Zor-El.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like these first few chapters could be condensed into one, but alas, the life of a fanfiction writer means I must update occasionally. If I didn't then no one would ever read my writing. Thanks for reading and I'm excited to read your comments, I live for them. I can't wait for you all to read the next chapter, it's going to get wild!


	5. Fly Kara Fly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Lena struggles to obtain information from literally anyone, the Red Lanterns become a very real threat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are going down finally! Also, while there's only a few characters in it now, I can assure you that I have plans to include Nia and Sam and they will be arriving very, VERY soon. I still hope to have Winn and James, but for now they're kind of out of the picture. Enjoy!

The first thing Lois said when she opened the door to her apartment was, “So you remember?”

Lena and Lois let Dr. Danvers brush past them, carrying Kara carefully in her arms. Lois directed the doctor down the hallway and into the spare bedroom before turning her attention back on Lena. Where Lois was comfortable and casual in Lena’s presence, Lena felt awkward speaking to someone she barely knew, someone she had only ever spoken to when ruining her family’s company.

“Not exactly,” Lena said. “Can I come in?”

“By all means.” Lois gestured into the apartment and closed the door behind Lena. “What do you mean, ‘not exactly’? Either you remember or you don’t. And considering you have the Green Lantern ring and brought a Red Lantern into my home, I’m guessing you do remember.”

“Look,” Lena sighed, falling onto the couch and letting her body sag into it, “everything just kind of happened all at once. Kara nearly crashed into my car, I found the ring, and all of a sudden it’s telling me who I am. Or—who I _was_ , I suppose. Then there’s that _other_ Green Lantern—”

Lois’ eyes went wide. “What other Green Lantern? Jessica?”

Of all the things Lena had told Lois about today—from the Green Lantern ring to asking if she could bring a Red Lantern to Lois’ home—this didn’t seem like the most pressing issue.

“No,” Lena said slowly, “Brainiac-5? He’s—I think he’s an alien.”

Lois sat down next to Lena, placing a hand on Lena’s arm. Lena immediately felt herself relax from the light touch.

“What did you tell him?” Lois asked quietly.

Lena shrugged. “I didn’t have to tell him much of anything. He already knew I had the ring. But I—” Lena cut herself off as she thought back to her conversation with the other Lantern. “I don’t think he knew that Kara was here. I may have told him.”

Lois nodded. She kept nodding. She swallowed thickly and turned away from Lena. “Goddammit. _Fuck_.”

“Lois?” Lena didn’t know Lois Lane very well, but she was under the impression that she didn’t swear often. “What’s wrong? I didn’t—I didn’t know.”

“This is all my fault,” Lois said, still avoiding eye contact with Lena. “If I’d kept an eye on you, told you everything, we could have prepared better for this. But Jessica assured me it would all be okay. And now, now that everything is _fucked_ , where is she?”

“I’m completely lost,” Lena said. “Can you just—can you please slow down? I told you I don’t really remember anything except flashes.”

Lois stopped her rambling and took a deep breath. She turned to Lena and smiled, much calmer than she was a few seconds ago. “Right. I’m sorry, we really should explain all this to you. But Jessica should be here too. Give me one minute, I’ll try to contact her. Then we’ll tell you everything, I promise.”

“Lena?” Dr. Danvers poked her head into the living room. “Can you come here for a sec?”

“Go,” Lois said, already pulling out her phone. “I’ll handle Jessica, you go handle the Red Lantern.” Lois shook her head as she scrolled through her phone, huffing out a laugh. “Jess is going to be so pissed when I tell her about this.”

Lena desperately wanted to know who this Jessica person Lois kept referring to was, but Dr. Danvers stood in the hallway, wringing her hands nervously. Lena took her leave as Lois brought the phone to her ear and followed the doctor into the guest bedroom.

Of all the things Lena had been expecting when she walked into the room, Kara sitting up, fully alert and staring at Lena with wide eyes wasn’t even on the list.

“Am I mistaken or did you fall out of the sky and hit the ground at full-force?” Lena said, looking to the doctor for some kind of explanation. Dr. Danvers simply shrugged.

“Lena,” Kara said softly, a smile painting her face, “I should have realized it the first time I saw you.”

“Realized what?” Lena took a step closer to Kara, even as Dr. Danvers reached out to stop her.

“That you’re a Green Lantern.”

“A what?” Dr. Danvers looked between the two of them wildly.

Lena ignored her and her expression hardened. “Now that you know, are you going to kill me?”

Kara shrunk back into the bed. “Kill you? Why would I do that?”

“I heard you’re a Red Lantern,” Lena said, “a pretty dangerous one too.”

“You’re obviously not up to date on the latest Lantern news.” Kara laughed, actually _laughed_ , believing this was funny. Lena was standing in a room in the apartment of her family’s enemy, talking to her apparent sworn enemy, and said enemy was _laughing._

“Can I interrupt?” Dr. Danvers said, waving a hand between the two of them. “What the fuck is going on here?”

“I’m sorry, Alex,” Kara said, “you’ve been so kind to me and I haven’t bothered to explain anything to you.”

“Alex?” It was Lena’s turn to glance between the other two people in the room. “You’re on a first name basis?”

“She didn’t provide any other name,” Kara said.

“You told her your first name?” Lena hissed at Dr. Danvers.

“I didn’t realize I shouldn’t have!” Dr. Danvers held up her hands in defense. “Maybe if you were a little more forthright with your information we wouldn’t have this problem!”

“She’s right, Lena,” Kara said, “we really should tell her what’s going on. After all, she’s looked after us so far. I think she’s earned our trust.”

“I trust _her,_ ” Lena said, “it’s you I don’t trust.”

“Would you let me talk long enough to tell you what’s going on?” Kara asked.

The truth was that Lena wanted to trust Kara, though she didn’t understand why. Everything she’s learned so far has told her to run far away in the other direction. Maybe that’s why she kept interrupting Kara, she was afraid that when Kara finally revealed the truth Lena couldn’t kid herself anymore, that Kara was something dangerous that she had to stay away from.

Kara sighed. “Alex, the truth is that Lena and I are—”

A powerful beam of red light crashed through the window, throwing Kara off the bed and Lena and Dr. Danvers against the wall. Lena swore she heard her skull crack as it banged hard against the wall. She blinked as her vision began to blur and go dark at the edges. A face swam into her vision.

“Are you okay, Lena?” Kara asked in a rush. She reached back behind Lena’s head and Lena could vaguely make out red liquid covering Kara’s fingers when she pulled it back. She stared at Lena, her eyes wide. “You’re bleeding.”

Lena nodded and chuckled. “That’s generally what happens when your head is pushed forcefully against a wall.”

“We need to get help,” Kara breathed. She glanced over at Dr. Danvers, who was pushing herself up onto shaky legs. “Alex, where’s the nearest hospital?”

“The hospital isn’t safe.”

The new voice in the room sounded slightly familiar to Lena, but she couldn’t place it for the life of her. Through her blurred vision she could barely make out Lois trailing behind someone with long black hair and a bright green outfit. Another Lantern? Was Brainiac-5 back? She hoped not, she didn’t want to be reprimanded for taking Kara to an innocent civilian’s home.

“Lantern Cruz,” that was Kara’s voice, “what are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same question,” the new voice—Cruz—returned in a hostile tone.

Lena felt herself being lifted from the ground. She blinked and saw Lois leaning her against a wall, checking her over for injuries. She wore the same horrified expression Kara had when she found the blood.

“Jess,” Lois said in a shaky voice, “Lena’s bleeding.”

“I think the doctor’s broken some bones as well,” Cruz said. “But if the Lanterns found us here, they’ll find us if we check into a hospital. Is there somewhere around here that’s safe?”

“My house,” Lena whimpered. She coughed and her stomach erupted into pain. She bent over, clutching at it. Lois wrapped her arms around Lena, keeping her from falling.

“Sinestro and the Red Lanterns found her there before,” Lois said. “What’s keeping them from finding her there again?”

“Actually Lena’s right,” Cruz said. Lena faintly made out a bright green glow emanating from the new person’s fingers. “After her attack we put a block on her house. They shouldn’t be able to detect any Lantern rings under its roof. It’s the safest place for now.”

“Tell me where to go,” Kara said, rushing over to Lena. “I’ll take Lena there.”

Cruz laughed. “Like hell you will. You probably sent the Red Lanterns here. No, you’re staying far away from Lena. I’ll take Lena to the Luthor mansion and Lois, you take the doctor to the hospital. Meet me at the house once the doctor is safe.”

“The Red Lanterns aren’t here for the Green Lanterns,” Kara said quickly, blocking Lena’s body from Cruz’s grasp, “they’re here for me. They’re here to kill me.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Cruz asked.

“I’ve said it a million times,” Kara huffed, “I have a lot to explain. But trust me, the Red Lanterns don’t care about you—at least right now. They want me and they’re not going to stop until I’m dead.”

As if to punctuate Kara’s point, another blast of red light, smaller this time, came through the wall, completely obliterating it. Lena fell to her knees, Lois holding onto her. Kara and Cruz remained steady on their feet, staring each other down.

“Why would they want you dead?” Cruz asked. “You’re one of them!”

“Not anymore,” Kara said. “The rage lost its control over me. You can see that, can’t you? That I’m not some mindless, angry monster.”

“That doesn’t explain why they’d want you dead,” Cruz retorted. “Why wouldn’t they try to convert you back to their team?”

“Because I stole one of their most prized possessions,” Kara said softly. She looked to Lena, seemingly lost in thought. “I stole Lena’s ring from them. That’s why I’m here. To return it to her.”

Silence fell over the room. Kara and Cruz stared each other down, trying to figure out if they could really trust each other as Lena slowly lost consciousness. Lois kept jostling Lena, making sure she stayed awake. Dr. Danvers appeared to be steady on her feet, but she kept wincing in pain.

Finally Cruz sighed. “What’s your point? That you want to come with us?”

“Once the Red Lanterns get me,” Kara said, “that’s it. They can move on to their other enemy.”

“The Green Lanterns,” Cruz filled in.

“Exactly. But you’re safe, _Lena’s_ safe so long as they’re chasing after me. That’s what rage does to them, it makes them hyper-focus on one goal and they won’t stop until that goal has been fulfilled.”

“So what’s your plan?” Cruz asked.

“And be quick about it,” Lois said. “They should be gearing up for another attack and Lena’s losing a lot of blood. And the doctor _really_ needs a doctor. I mean, another doctor.”

“Here’s the plan,” Kara said, “but I have a feeling you’re not going to like it.”

“I already don’t like it,” Cruz said.

“The lady holding Lena—”

“Lois,” Cruz supplied.

“Lois, you take Alex to the hospital. The Red Lanterns won’t follow you, they don’t care about powerless humans. But when you leave for Lena’s home, be discreet. They might send someone to check up on you, make sure you’re not a threat. Lantern Cruz,” Kara paused, biting down on her lip, “I’ll take Lena to the house.”

“Over my dead body,” Cruz said through gritted teeth.

“I told you that you wouldn’t like it,” Kara said. “But we need a distraction. You fight off the Red Lanterns, weaken them, keep them from following us. You’re a legend, I know you can handle it.”

“Are you sure this is our only option?” Cruz said, looking to Lois for confirmation, or maybe to see if she had any better ideas.

Lois sighed, checking over Lena. “Right now our highest priority is protecting Lena, especially now that she has the ring. If Lantern Zor-El is telling the truth, then this is our best bet.”

“And if she’s not telling the truth?” Cruz asked.

“She is,” Lena whispered. “I trust her.”

“You’re also concussed,” Cruz told her, but she relented anyway. “Okay. Zor-El, take Lena. But if this is some elaborate ruse to kill her or turn her into a Red Lantern, so help me—”

“I’ve heard about what you can do,” Kara said quickly, “trust me, I think I’m a little more afraid of you.”

“I’ll take care of the Red Lanterns quickly,” Cruz continued. “I’ll be at the house before you even know it. Lois, you know what to do?”

Lois nodded, standing up to help Dr. Danvers out of the room, though she seemed reluctant to let go of Lena. “I’ll be careful. I’ll see you soon, Jess.”

“You better.” Cruz gave Lois a lingering touch before letting them out of the room. She set her steely gaze back on Kara. “One more thing. The block on Lena’s house only blocks signals from _Green Lantern_ rings. Give me your hand.”

Kara held out her hand, slightly confused. Cruz grabbed it and pulled her red ring off, throwing it to the ground and stomping on it. Kara stared up at her in horror.

“How am I going to get Lena to the house now?” Kara asked.

Cruz created a bright green shield out of thin air. Lena was so amazed that she nearly stopped paying attention to Kara and Cruz’s conversation.

“Lois knew you’re cousin, Kal-El,” Cruz explained. “It turns out that Kryptonians can do some pretty amazing things here on Earth. Go ahead and give it a try.”

Kara stood frozen for a moment, now wearing strange robes instead of her red suit. The “S” symbol remained on her chest, bright and bold. She only moved when a tremor shook the room. It was another blast from the Red Lanterns, blocked by Cruz’s shield.

“Go Zor-El!” Cruz shouted, her voice strained. “Don’t let me regret trusting you!”

Kara moved, sweeping Lena off the ground easily. Kara laughed, surprised at her own strength. She tightened her grip on Lena, bringing her hands to wrap around Kara’s neck.

“Hold on tight,” Kara said as she carried Lena through the building until they reached the back door that led out into an alley. “I’m going to try something.”

Lena nodded tiredly before letting her head rest in the crook of Kara’s neck. She felt as Kara bent her knees before jumping into the air. She snorted, wondering what the point of that was, until she opened her eyes and realized Kara never landed her jump.

Kara was flying.

Lena squeezed her arms around Kara’s neck tighter, nearly choking her. Kara laughed breathlessly, almost disbelieving what she was doing, and adjusted her grip on Lena. This was so much different than when the ring had flown her to the hospital earlier—had it really been that same day? When Lena had flown she felt out of control, like she was being flung across the earth.

Now, though, she could tell Kara was in control, that Kara knew exactly what she was doing. Lena trusted Kara not to drop her.

At some point during the journey the combination of the blood loss and the high altitude began to affect Lena and she started to drop into sleep. She felt Kara speed up, but it didn’t stop her eyes from closing and her mind from shutting down.

“Hold on, Lena,” Kara gasped. “We’re almost there, just—just hold on, Lena.”

Lena barely heard her as she tried to focus on not letting the black creep into her vision. She stared at Kara’s face to distract herself from passing out. Later she might realize how creepy this was, but for now it was helping her stay awake.

Kara had a beautiful face, otherworldly in its casual beauty. Lena nearly laughed. Of course it was otherworldly, Kara was literally from another world. Lena wondered what Kara’s planet was like, if it was anything like Earth or if they had more or less technological advances. This time she did laugh out loud. Here she was about to die and she was thinking about science.

Kara glanced down at her, concern on her face. Her forehead and eyebrows were scrunched together in a way that looked painful to Lena. Without thinking she reached up and pressed her thumb into Kara’s forehead, trying to smooth the wrinkles away.

“Don’t worry,” Lena whispered, “you’ve got me.”

Lena didn’t quite understand herself what she meant by that considering she barely knew Kara. For all she knew, Kara was flying her to her death. But from the way Kara held her and the worry written all over her face, Lena knew she was safe with the other woman.

Before Lena knew it, Kara was landing softly on the ground outside of Lena’s childhood home. It loomed over them, simultaneously warning them of the danger lurking inside and inviting them inside.

“There’s a lab in the basement,” Lena murmured.

Kara nodded and rushed inside, surprised at the speed at which she ran. She found her way down to the lab easily thanks to Lena’s guidance and set her down gently on a cot. She grabbed and towel and pressed it against the back of Lena’s head.

“I’ll be honest,” Kara said, crinkling her forehead again, “I have no idea what to do.”

“Lucky for you, you’ve got me.”

Dr. Danvers entered the room, followed by Lois and Cruz. They reminded Lena of some kind of superhero team, the way they power-walked over to Lena and Kara, their faces set with determination.

“I thought you were taking Alex to the hospital?” Kara asked, moving out of the way for the doctor.

Dr. Danvers held Lena’s head up and examined the back of it with a frown. She turned back to Lois. “She needs stitches. Do you know where I can find supplies for that?”

“As it turns out,” Cruz said as Lois led the doctor to a cabinet across the room, “Dr. Danvers’ injuries aren’t nearly as dire as we thought. At least, that’s what she tells us.”

“Alex,” the doctor said as she made her way back to Lena, “you can call me Alex. I think us being in a near-death situation together has earned you that right. Can you turn over for me, Lena?”

As Lena flipped onto her stomach she caught a glimpse of Kara watching her carefully, her arms wrapped around herself tightly. Lena felt an urge to reach out and assure Kara that she was fine, there was no need to worry.

“ _Alex_ thinks she’s fine,” Cruz said, “despite the fact that she keeps wincing every time she moves.”

“If I didn’t get here when I did,” Alex said, pressing a towel into the back of Lena’s head, “then she would have bled out. Do any of the rest of you know how to stitch someone up?”

“I did some sewing in home-ec,” Cruz grumbled.

“Once I get Lena stitched up then we can take care of me,” Alex said. “Alright, Lena, this is going to hurt a bit.”

Lena barely felt the needle as it punctured into the back of her head. It didn’t hurt any more than the wound that had been there for so long that Lena had lost most feeling there. As Alex stitched her up she closed her eyes, finally content to fall asleep now that she was being looked after by a real doctor.

“You were right, Kara,” Cruz said suddenly, “the Red Lanterns only care about hunting you down.”

Lena snapped her eyes open. As tired as she was, she needed to listen to this conversation, prove to herself that she was right about Kara this entire time.

“I wouldn’t be here if I was lying,” Kara shot back.

“I’m sorry I didn’t trust you,” Cruz said. “But you can understand why I wouldn’t.”

“I just don’t understand,” Lois stepped in, “how you even got here? How did you break out of the rage?”

“I don’t know,” Kara said softly. “I barely remember anything from my time as a Red Lantern. It’s like my real self was asleep the entire time in the back of my mind while something else took over. Whenever I think about the horrible, _awful_ things I did when I was infected with rage it feels like a dream. Only in my worst nightmares did I think I could do things like that. But I actually did. I killed—I killed… _so_ many innocent people.”

Kara started to gasp as her voice became choked with tears. Lena sat up, ignoring Alex’s protests. She reached out her hand to Kara when she saw her reddened face, the tears painting her cheeks.

“Kara,” Lena said softly.

Kara looked up and shook her head. “If you knew what I had done, Lena, you wouldn’t have trusted me so easily. I’ve done—things that you couldn’t even imagine, Lena.”

Lena smiled. Maybe it was the loss of blood controlling her or she had some natural trust toward Kara, but she took Kara’s hand in hers and pulled her closer. She swiped the tears from Kara’s eyes, forgetting that they weren’t alone in this room, that everyone else was staring at them in confusion and wonder.

“So have I, Kara,” Lena said. “Maybe I don’t know everything about the Lanterns or you, but I have to believe that everyone is capable of redemption. Because if they aren’t—”

Lena cut herself off, wondering if she even believed what she was saying. After all, what has she done that deserves redeeming? She was fired for trying and failing to fix the company. She’s never done anything that has actually _helped_ people, especially those that have been affect by Luthor Corp’s terrible policies.

“Lena?” Kara’s soft voice brought her out of her thoughts.

“Sorry, I just—” Lena couldn’t remember what she was even saying. She’d wanted to make Kara feel better and all she ended up doing was making herself more confused. “What am I doing here?”

“Did you lose your memory again?” Lois asked.

Lena whipped around to face her so fast that her head began to pound and her vision went blurry for a moment. Alex held onto her to steady her.

“Let me finish stitching you up,” Alex said quickly, “then you can move around as much as you want.”

“What do you mean ‘ _again_ ’?” Lena asked.

Lois and Cruz shared a quick glance with each other. They held each other’s stares for so long that it seemed as if they were having some secret, silent conversation with each other. Finally, Cruz sighed.

“I may or may not have erased your memory of everything pertaining to the Green Lanterns,” Cruz explained. “But you have to believe me, I thought it was in your best interests.”

Lena stood up, making her way shakily to Cruz. She felt Alex behind her trying to keep her from falling over.

“You thought it was in my best interests,” Lena hissed, “to take away my _memory_? Take away an entire part of myself?”

“Lena,” Lois said, “it had barely been a week since you’d become a Green Lantern. You were young, so much younger than any Lanterns before you and you were in danger. It was the best way to protect you.”

“Isn’t being in danger part of the job description?” Lena asked. “If you had just trained me, I could have handled myself. Why didn’t you think I was capable of that?”

“It’s a little more complicated than that,” Cruz said. “I promise, I’ll explain everything to you, but you really should finish getting stitched up.”

“I don’t know why I should believe you,” Lena said, backing away from all of them. She even pulled out of Alex’s reach despite the fact that Alex hadn’t done anything to her. But maybe she had, how could Lena know if she was missing part of her memory? How could she know anything?

“Lena please,” Lois said, “we don’t want you to get hurt.”

“If you didn’t want me to get hurt, you should have taught me to protect myself instead of just erasing my memory and leaving me alone for years.”

“Lena,” Kara said. Lena stopped backing away and waited. “I think they’re telling the truth. You’re not just another Green Lantern. It’s why we stole your ring, why I had to get it back to you.”

Lena breathed heavily, feeling like the entire world was staring at her, expecting something of her, though she didn’t know what it was. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Lena never got her answer, though. She had to wait for all of her explanations—there were so many that Lena had lost track of what she needed to be told—as they were interrupted by a robotic voice speaking through the speakers of the house.

“Welcome home, Lillian.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please keep commenting! I love reading and responding to them! And I'm very excited for next week's chapter and to introduce you to a new (at least for this story) character. Thanks for reading and see you next week!


	6. Spectrum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new foe is added to the mix. Lena finally finds out what makes her so special to the Lanterns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, I've brought a new character in, although it's not what you're expecting :o Also, I will be adding Nia and Alex will be returning soon. From this point on I'll be adding new points of views in addition to Lena's, just to add a little more perspective on the story.

_Two years ago…_

_The first thing Sam noticed was the bright flash of yellow light streaming through her windows, brighter and flashier than the sun. Without a second thought she pushed Ruby out of the way just moments before the creatures crashed into her apartment, pointing futuristic-looking devices at her._

_Sam grabbed her keys from the hook and tossed them in Ruby’s direction._

“ _Go!” she yelled at Ruby. “Go, I’ll catch up later!”_

_Ruby was a smart girl and though she was unsure that Sam would catch up later, she ran out of the apartment anyway. Sam relaxed knowing that Ruby would get somewhere safe and more importantly, the aliens didn’t seem to notice someone escaping the apartment._

“ _Samantha Arias?” one of the creatures, a slim, purple-skinned one, asked her._

_Sam stared at the alien, too shocked to come up with any kind of response. The only thoughts running through her mind were those of Ruby and whether she had made it out alive._

_The purple-skinned creature sighed and stepped closer to Sam. “You are Samantha Arias, are you not?”_

“ _Wh-who are you?” Sam managed to stutter out._

“ _It’s okay to be afraid,” the purple-skinned creature said, a smile crawling up his face. “In fact, I_ want _you afraid. Fear makes us strong. And you, my dear, are the strongest organism I’ve ever seen.”_

_Sam shook, the fear creeping through her veins the closer the creature got. The other two aliens stood at the hole they crashed through as if they were keeping guard, but they were watching Sam curiously, their own sly smiles on their faces._

“ _I do-I don’t understand,” Sam murmured. “What do y-you wa-want from me?”_

“ _I want your fear, Samantha Arias,” the purple-skinned creature responded. “I want you to be so scared that you cannot think straight, that your instincts take over, that you—what is it you humans call it? Your ‘fight or flight’ response controls you. And you, Samantha Arias, are a fighter.”_

_The creature reached for Sam’s hand and slipped a yellow ring onto her finger. Immediately Sam felt a sensation of calm come over her, though her body still shook and her mind screamed at her that needed to leave, get out of there before something horrible happened. But she relaxed, as if the ring sucked up all her fear and stored it there._

“ _This is a Qwardian power ring,” the purple-skinned creature explained. “It is the symbol of the Sinestro-Corps, of_ my _Corps. You understand what you must do with it?”_

_Sam nodded. The ring seemed to whisper in her mind her duties, her responsibilities. Instill great fear in others, make them weak with it, let them tremble beneath your power._

_Sinestro grinned and took Sam’s hand, leading her back to the ship that waited outside her apartment window. He recited their oath and Sam and the other two creatures said it along with him._

“ _In blackest day, in brightest night, beware your fears made into light. Let those who try to stop what’s right burn like my power Sinestro’s might.”_

**

Present day…

Everyone froze at the sound of the home’s alert system. They looked at one another, as if no one wanted to take responsibility for the solution to this new problem. Lena figured she was the only person that could come up with some way to combat Lillian’s presence, but she was half-unconscious at the moment.

Finally, Lois spoke up. “We’re dead if she finds us.”

“No shit,” Cruz offered helpfully.

“We can’t take Lena to a hospital,” Lois said.

“But Lena belongs here,” Cruz added. “So we say that she was popping by to give her mom a visit—”

“She’s kind of not on speaking terms with her mother at the moment,” Lois interrupted, glancing down at Lena who confirmed this statement with a slight nod. “Her mother may or may not have been involved in firing her from her company.”

“Fuck,” Cruz said. “Is there somewhere else we can go?”

“This was a last resort,” Lois admitted. “Anywhere else won’t be safe. At least the Luthor mansion has all kinds of security measures to protect us.”

“Except from the Luthors themselves,” Cruz pointed out.

“What if Lena didn’t come here willingly?” Kara said suddenly.

Lois and Cruz whipped around to face her, completely having forgotten her presence. They remained silent, indicating Kara to continue.

“She was driving when she found me,” Kara went on, sounding as if she was creating the plan off the top of her head as she spoke. “What if she was in a car accident with me or something, but it wasn’t that serious, and she insisted, in her injured state, that I bring her back home?”

Lois and Cruz stared at Kara before looking at each other, once again having one of those silent conversations of theirs.

“That’s actually… not a bad idea,” Lois said slowly. Cruz nodded in agreement. “Especially for a Red Lantern.”

“Again,” Kara said, “not a Red Lantern anymore.”

“That’s to be determined,” Cruz said. “Okay. So here’s the plan, Lois and I will go upstairs, make sure the coast is clear and then you, Zor-El, follow us up and go through the front door. It’ll be less suspicious if you’re not already here. Oh, and Lois, give Kara your clothes.”

“Why me?” Lois grumbled, but started pulling off her blazer anyway.

“Lena’s got blood all over her clothes and you’re the only other person in this room with normal clothes,” Cruz explained. “You can take Zor-El’s clothes and change before you go back to the office. This is a matter of life and death, Lois, I think you can spare one of your 27 pairs of pant-suits.”

Lois glared at Cruz as she shucked off her clothes and threw them at Kara. Kara’s cheeks turned red at Lois’ brazenness and she turned away from prying eyes as she slipped her suit off and Lois’ on. The pant-suit was a little tighter on Kara than it was on Lois, but it still made Lena’s mouth go dry. She didn’t know if it was the blood loss or just her normal, thirsty thoughts, but seeing Kara’s curves and muscles stretching out business clothes made Lena think of her and Kara in an office, Lena on her back on a desk, Kara crawling over her—

Yeah, it was definitely the blood loss talking.

“Great,” Cruz said. “Follow us.”

Lena didn’t quite understand the plan, but she had no chance to ask any questions before she was scooped up into Kara’s arms and carried out of the basement. She slipped in and out of consciousness as Kara brought her up to the front door and rang the doorbell. Lena opened her eyes in time to see Lillian’s face when she saw her daughter being held—barely conscious—by a stranger. She felt some delight in the situation.

“What exactly is the meaning of this?” Lillian insisted, reaching for Lena.

Kara angled her body away from Lillian instinctively and Lena laughed. At least, she meant for it to be a laugh, but it sounded like she was choking.

“Are you Lena’s mother?” Kara asked. Her voice didn’t sound it, but Lena could tell by the way Kara’s arms shook slightly that she was nervous. Lillian could instill that kind of fear in people.

“I am,” Lillian said. “What are you doing with my daughter?”

“I’m sorry,” Kara said, clearing her throat to keep the tremors out, “but she was in a car accident? Nothing too bad and I don’t think she has any bad wounds, she’s just a little shaken. I wanted to take her to a hospital, but she insisted on being brought here, on seeing her mother.”

Lillian laughed. “What is this? Some kind of ploy to get revenge on me after Lex fired you? Lena, tell me what’s really going on here?”

Lena took note that Lillian didn’t inquire about Lena’s injuries.

“Mom…” Lena moaned, trying to sell it as best she could, “I don’t… I just want to go to bed.”

Lillian paled. Lena knew that all her mother knew about her was how desperately Lena wanted to please people and prove herself good enough for the Luthor family. She never begged, never showed any kind of weakness unless she _absolutely_ needed help. Even then, she’d withhold until the situation was dire.

That was why Lillian stepped aside and showed Kara to Lena’s bedroom.

“I’ll call the doctor as soon as I can,” Lillian said as Kara laid Lena down in her bed. Lillian turned to Kara. “Thank you for your help Miss…?”

Kara’s eyes widened. As she had been making everything up as she went along, she hadn’t thought of a fake last name for herself. Lena noticed Kara darting her eyes around the room, looking for _something_ that would help her out. Kara’s eyes finally landed on a book spread open on Lena’s desk, _Rebecca_ by Daphne du Maurier, which Lena had been reading the night before she left for college, the night before she left home and never returned.

“Danvers,” Kara said quickly. “Kara Danvers.”

How Kara was able to make out the name “Mrs. Danvers” from across the room, Lena couldn’t figure out. Maybe it was packaged deal with her flying abilities.

“Miss Danvers,” Lillian said, “thank you for all your help, but your assistance is no longer needed.”

“Oh, well I—”

“There’s no need,” Lillian said, nearly shoving Kara out the door. “I assure you, Lena is in safe hands now. Goodbye.”

Lillian slammed the door in Kara’s face before she had a chance to fight back and insist that she stay with Lena until she got better. Though that was part of the plan that hadn’t thought through, how to get Kara to stay with Lena when she was a stranger.

Now Lena was left alone to fend for herself against her mother, while she had lost a significant amount of blood no less.

Lillian turned back to Lena with a bitter smile. “Lena, Lena, Lena. I should have known you would play some kind of game on me. Pretending to be injured so I’ll take pity on you. You should know that I’m not going to fall for it. No matter how good an actress you may be.”

As much as it pained Lena, she had to act weak, which wasn’t very hard given the circumstances. Luckily she had the wound to prove her story.

“My head…” Lena whimpered. “It—it hit something… I think…”

Lillian sighed and grabbed Lena’s head, forcefully pulling it up. She ran her fingers over the wound, pressing into it and causing Lena to cry out sharply. Lillian clicked her tongue and let go of Lena’s head, letting it fall back onto the pillow.

“That’s kind an injury,” Lillian said. “Are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital for it?”

In any other situation, Lena would have absolutely gone to the hospital before coming to her childhood home. What plausible explanation could there be for her presence here without making her mother suspicious.

Her mind flashed back to the waiting room where the interview played with Lillian. Lena remembered the anger, the embarrassment she felt in that moment, how weak it made her feel to be standing in the middle of that waiting room and being called out as a failure.

“I was embarrassed,” Lena whispered. “Everyone… knows what happened. I couldn’t… I couldn’t deal with it.”

Lillian pursed her lips. Lena could tell what she was debating. Either this was a lie and Lena was incredibly devoted to it or it was the truth.

Lillian never came to her conclusion as there was a knock on the door before an unfamiliar face poked their head in.

“Ms. Luthor?” the intruder said almost shyly. _Almost_. “Are we going to continue our meeting?”

Lillian jumped away from Lena. “Oh! Yes, Miss Arias, of course. My daughter had an emergency that needed taking care of, but from here on out I am all yours.”

The woman, Miss Arias, smiled kindly. “Is your daughter okay?”

“She will be,” Lillian responded. “Now let’s go downstairs and talk business, shall we?”

Lillian shut the door behind them, effectively cutting off the rest of their conversation.

\---

Lena didn’t realize she had passed out until she heard a knocking on the window. She ignored it, curling up in her blankets and rolling away from the window, trying to get back to sleep. The knocking persisted, and that’s when Lena remembered that her room was on the second floor. No one should be knocking on her window—unless they could fly.

Lena shot out of bed and opened her window, letting Kara into the room. It said a lot about what she’s gone through in the past few hours that she didn’t even bat an eye at the sight of Kara floating outside her window.

Kara pulled Lena into a hug, squeezing her tightly as if they were old friends who hadn’t seen each other in years, when in fact it had only been a couple of hours.

“I’m so glad you’re okay!” Kara shouted softly. She pulled back from Lena and took her hands, staring into her eyes earnestly. “You have to get out of here.”

Lena shook her head. “What are you talking about? I thought we all agreed this was the safest place for me at the moment.”

“Not with the Yellow Lantern around,” Kara said.

“Yellow Lantern—” Lena glanced around the room wildly, as if the Yellow Lantern was hiding in the room with them. “There are _Yellow Lanterns_ after me now?”

“Apparently,” Kara grumbled. “I’d heard rumors before I left, but I never suspected that we would actually work with the Sinestro Corps.”

Lena’s head felt like it was spinning. She felt better, less exhausted, but all this was too much. Everything that was happening came crashing back into her mind suddenly, making it pound and nearly burst to the brim with confusion.

When Lena looked back at Kara and saw her gentle smile, her eyes full of comfort and understanding, Lena felt so much better. All the worries weighing on her shoulders felt light as feathers.

“Slow down,” Lena said, perching on the edge of her bed. “I was asleep for a few hours and I just woke up. I’m going to need some time.”

“A few hours?” Kara wrinkled her brow. “Does time move differently here on Earth? I could have sworn it’s been three days.”

“Three days!?” Lena jumped up from the bed and grabbed her phone. Sure enough, the date confirmed that she had been asleep for _three whole days_. “How could I have been asleep that long?”

“That’s why I was so worried about you,” Kara said. “Especially after seeing the Yellow Lantern in your house when I left. When we hadn’t heard from you we were so sure that she had done something to you. I wanted to come see you sooner, but Lois and Jessica insisted I wait, make sure the Yellow Lantern was far away before I risked rescuing you.”

“Jessica?” The name sounded familiar to Lena, though she couldn’t quite place it.

“The other Green Lantern?” Kara said. “Wow, you were really out of it.”

Lena nodded. If she had been asleep for three days at her childhood home that meant Lillian had been taking care of her. Which meant Lex _definitely_ knew she was here. It made Lena’s skin crawl, thinking of what her family had planned for her, or even what they’d already done to her. Was that why she had slept so long?

She shook the thoughts out of her head. It wouldn’t help her to muddle her brain with paranoia. She had to focus on what was important right now, which was the apparent Yellow Lantern that was stalking her.

“Come on,” Kara said, reaching for Lena’s hand. “I promise you’ll finally get the explanation you deserve, but you need to come with me _right now_.”

Lena felt frozen. She couldn’t comprehend it. She understood the urgency in Kara’s voice, she knew that having not just the Red Lanterns, but also the Yellow Lanterns—or, what was it Kara had called them, the Sinestro Corps?—on her trail did not bode well.

And there was Lena, at the center of it all. But _why_?

There it was, the real reason she couldn’t find it in herself to move. Why was Lena, of all people, of all _creatures_ in this universe so special that everyone was chasing after her?

“ _Lena_ ,” Kara begged. “Please come with me.”

“I…” Lena stared at the door as if it contained all the answers. “I can’t.”

Kara groaned, throwing her hands up in frustration. “Lena, if you stay here you might die.”

“If I leave I might die,” Lena pointed out. “It seems like everywhere I go, it’s a death sentence.”

Kara sighed and sat down next to Lena. She folded her hands on her lap and looked down at them, carefully avoiding Lena’s eyes.

“I was recruited to the Red Lanterns about fifteen human years ago,” Kara began. “I would have been about… thirteen at the time? I’m not sure, time worked a little differently on Krypton. Anyway, the point is that I was really young, in fact, I was the youngest recruit at the time. I was angry and upset over—well, that’s not important right now. I couldn’t see past my rage and I wanted to take it out on the world. The Red Lanterns noticed and took advantage of that.”

Lena stared at Kara in disbelief. Up until this point, Kara had seemed like the type of person who has always known who she was, so sure and confident of herself—the complete opposite of Lena if she was being honest. But Kara had been just as young and vulnerable as Lena had been at one point. As Lena was now.

“I served the Red Lanterns diligently for ten years after they found me,” Kara continued. “That was… until I found out about a certain Green Lantern.” She looked up significantly at Lena.

“Me?” Lena laughed. “You quit because of me?”

Kara smiled, staring off into the distance, reliving some far-off memory. “You gave me hope. I figured out that a few years before I left a Lantern had been found, one who was special, one who could—given the right training—destroy the Red Lanterns, the Sinestro Corps, disrupt our entire system of Lanterns.”

“Why me though?” Lena asked. “What’s so important about me that I can do all that?”

Kara took a deep breath, as if it was she that had to brace herself for what came next. As if her very next words wouldn’t completely throw Lena’s world off-kilter.

“You’re the only person, the only _creature_ in existence that fulfills the requirements for the entire spectrum. Lena, you could be _any_ color you wanted. You’re the only person that can choose their Corps.”

Lena felt the breath leave her lungs. While it didn’t help _everything_ make sense, she could see clearly now, the reason the Red Lanterns might want her more than an ordinary Green Lantern, why there was suddenly a Yellow Lantern on her tail. They all want her on their side.

But the Green Lanterns got to her first.

“So that’s…” Lena searched her mind for any other explanation, any other possibility that might dissuade her from believing the Green Lanterns would betray her trust. For a group that was so eager to convince Lena she couldn’t trust others, they weren’t very trustworthy themselves.

“Lena?” Kara tilted her head, reaching for Lena’s hand.

Lena pulled her hand away and stood up. “That’s why they recruited me at such a young age! They didn’t want me growing up and choosing another Corps. They got me to trust them before I could here anyone else out, see if they were right or wrong. They never gave me any _choice_. They’re just like—”

Lena’s eyes landed on the family portrait she had on her desk. The four of them—Lena, Lex, Lillian, and their father, Lionel—all wore black, their pale faces practically glowing against the dark background. Lena always joked that the picture made them look like vampires, but no one ever found it funny, except Lionel who’d give Lena a polite chuckle.

That was exactly what Lena was describing when she thought of what the Green Lanterns had chosen to do to her, the people in that picture. A group of life-sucking individuals who take everything away from other people and give no reason for it.

“Lena,” Kara said softly from behind her. “You have to understand—”

“Understand what?” Lena whirled around to face Kara. Kara’s eyes widened as she took in Lena’s face. That’s when Lena realized she had tears spilling down her cheeks. She couldn’t stop them, though, so she let them flow easily despite the fact that she had never let anyone see her cry, much less someone she barely knew.

“It’s okay, Lena,” Kara whispered. She kept her distance, having learned her lesson. Despite Lena pulling away before, though, she now wanted Kara close to her, comforting her. “I know it’s frustrating, learning that everything you knew has been a lie.”

“Except I didn’t know anything, did I?” Lena laughed bitterly through her tears. “The Green Lanterns made sure of that. They wanted to use me, but they didn’t want to tell me anything.”

“I’m sure that’s not—” Kara tried, but Lena was a bulldozer, too preoccupied with her own thoughts to listen to Kara’s arguments.

“It is, though. Can you give me any reason I should trust them after they recruited me when I was _sixteen years old_ , before I could question them and make sure it was a choice I wanted? Is there any reason, Kara, that I should trust them after they took away my _memory_?”

“If you’d just let Jessica explain, I’m sure you’d understand why it was necessary.”

“Necessary?” Lena pressed her palms into her forehead. “It was _necessary_ to take away a part of me?”

“You were in danger.” Even Kara could tell that argument was feeble.

“If I was in so much danger then why didn’t they teach me to protect myself, help actually _become_ a Green Lantern? Instead they just shoved me to their side so I wouldn’t choose another. How are they any better than the other Corps?”

Kara gritted her teeth and clenched her fists together at her sides. Lena noticed a red strand of light flowing beneath her skin and took a step backward out of fear.

“Don’t—” Kara took a deep breath and the red light dimmed. She opened her fists and closed her eyes, breathing shakily. “I spent ten years as a Red Lantern, Lena. You might hate the Green Lanterns right now, but trust me, they’re nothing like the Red Lanterns. You don’t know what they’ve done, what they’ve _made_ me do. You may have been forced into it, but trust me, it’s the right side.”

There was that word again, _trust_. She had trusted her mother and Lex, and they pushed her onto the streets. She trusted Kara, Lois, and Jessica, and they’d led her back into her mother’s home. Maybe this was a lesson to her. Maybe it was about time she learned there was only one person she could trust: herself.

“I need some time to process all of this, Kara,” Lena said slowly. “I just—I’m not sure I’m ready to throw myself back into the fight when I don’t even know who I’m supposed to be fighting for anymore.”

“Yourself,” Kara said, her eyes kind and earnest. It was the first time in a long time Lena was absolutely sure someone was telling her the truth. “Fight for yourself, Lena. It’s the only side that matters.”

“I’m not even sure who that is anymore.” Lena felt as if she was on the verge of tears again.

Kara smiled at her, took her hand, and squeezed it gently. “You’ll figure it out. I know you will. And when you do…” Kara held up Lena’s hand and brushed her thumb over where the Green Lantern ring still sat. “Ask the ring to find me. It will know where to go.”

“Thank you, Kara.”

Just as soon as the words left Lena’s mouth, Kara had flown out the window. She sighed and sat back down on the edge of her bed, running her finger over the ring. She could ask the ring what the right answer was, it seemed to know everything. But it also belonged to the Green Lanterns, so it might be a little biased.

She groaned and threw the ring across the room. There was no easy answer to this and there never would be.

Moments later, a knock at the door startled Lena into a sitting position. Thinking it was her mother, Lena ignored it and laid back down.

“Lena? Are you in there?”

The voice was unfamiliar and much too kind to be her mother’s. And, of course, Lillian wouldn’t have knocked, she would have invited herself in. Lena frowned and went to open the door, thinking it was a new maid or housekeeper.

The woman that stood on the other side was dressed in business casual, far too formal to be a maid. She clutched a binder to her chest and smiled at Lena warmly.

“You’re awake,” the woman said. “Your mother will be glad to hear that. She sent me by to check up on you. She was too busy to do it herself.”

“Who exactly are you?” Lena asked.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” the woman laughed. “I should introduce myself before I go walking into your room. I’m Sam Arias, the new CBO of Luthor Corp.”

So this was Lena’s replacement. Lena was about to slam the door in her face, maybe even offer her some advice to get the hell out of Luthor Corp before it ate her alive, but something caught her eye. Lena glanced down at Sam’s outstretched hand and noticed a bright yellow ring boasting a strange symbol similar to the Green Lantern one.

Lena barely thought through her plan before she took Sam’s hand and shook it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry :( Don't worry, though, Sam won't stay evil. And I promise Ruby is safe and we'll find out where she went next chapter. Kudos and comments appreciated though not required! Thanks for reading and I'll see you next week!


	7. Dream of Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena appears in the mind of a dreamer. Sam has a weakness Lena is determined to discover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NIA NALLLLLLL! I'm so excited to introduce Nia in this chapter! Also I'm still screaming about last Sunday's episode of Supergirl and I desperately wanted so Kara/Lena action, but I got this down super late and didn't have time :( I PROMISE there will be some romance happening next week though!!! Enjoy!

_A blazing fire, the color of the sky, engulfed the city in mere seconds. Flames cascaded over like waterfalls over the buildings on the unfamiliar city. In the middle of it all, Nia stood, watching as people flooded out of houses and apartments and offices, screaming in fear. Nia wanted to help them, guide them somewhere safe, but when she tried to move, she found that she was frozen._

_Nia tried to call for help, tell someone else who could move to call the police, the fire department,_ anyone _that could put out the strange blue fire. But her voice made no sound._

_Then the strangest thing happened. Everyone who had been running in circles, screaming and crying, trying to steer clear of the fire, stopped. They turned to the center of the city and stared up at something Nia couldn’t quite make out._

_Slowly, deliberately, the crowd began to shuffle towards the fire. Again Nia attempted to scream at them to get back, but her throat scratched when she tried to force the words out. All she could was watch and wait._

_The crowd congregated in a park just where the flames began. In one, fluid motion, they lifted their heads and pointed up at the sky._

_There, just above the tallest building in the city, a figure floated. Although she was miles above the world, Nia was able to make out her features exactly. She wore a bright blue suit that was just a shade or two darker than the color of the flames. Her long, dark hair flowed out behind her like a cape. On her chest was a strange symbol of a circle and lines jutting out of it._

_The floating figure lifted her arms and the flames turned darker. Nia and the crowd could do nothing but watch the spectacle. Every time the figure moved her arms the flames moved and grew or shrank at her command. Rather than scaring Nia with this power, she felt a sense of light creeping into her chest._

_Nia suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. When she went to turn around, she was surprised to find that she was unfrozen. But now that she could move, she felt no urgency to ask for help. She knew that, whoever that floating figure may be, they had it covered._

_Rather than finding a person standing behind her, Nia found a radiant, glowing beam of light. She reached out to touch it and reveled in its warmth._

“ _Nia Nal,” a voice echoed around Nia, seemingly coming from the light. “Find us.”_

“ _Who are you?” Nia asked._

_Instead of answering the light expanded until it was all Nia could see. She covered her eyes to shield from the light and when she moved her hand away—_

—the only light Nia saw was the sun filtering through her windows. She groaned and squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself back to sleep. She could’ve sworn she’d closed her curtains last night so she could avoid this problem, but she must have passed out before she had the chance.

Nia had had strange dreams her entire life and as a result kept a journal under her bed where she wrote down her nearly indecipherable dreams. Her mother told her these dreams were a gift, that Nia should pay more attention to them. These dreams were meant to be prophetic according to her mother, but they were so confusing that Nia was hopeless when it came to interpreting them.

After writing in her journal and going through her normal morning routine, Nia made her way to work at “The Daily Planet”. She had only been working there a couple of weeks, but she thought she had found her niche in writing fashion columns. She had even gained a small, but loyal, fan following on social media. She could see herself working there for a long time.

Unless her dream really was a prophecy and the entire city ended up burning down.

Nia couldn’t stop thinking about the images from her dream. When she recalled it now, the fire terrified her. So why did she feel so calm within the dream? Why was everyone so okay with their city burning to the ground? What the hell was that light all about?

Her body collided with something solid, something that was holding a hot cup of coffee that spilled all over Nia and themselves. Nia backed away, a thousand and one apologies on the tip of her tongue until she noticed who she had run into.

Lois fucking Lane.

Once her eyes landed on Lois’ face—the face of the _editor-in-chief_ of “The Daily Planet—, the only thing Nia could do was stutter out, “Ms. Lane?”

Lois brushed her hands over her soaking wet outfit and smiled at Nia. “You must be Nia Nal, the new fashion columnist. I’ve heard a lot about you. Though, I can’t say I imagined our first meeting being like this.”

Nia suddenly remembered her manners. “I am _so_ sorry, Ms. Lane. I really should have been paying attention to where I was going. This is all my fault—I’ll pay for another cup of coffee, I’ll even pay for your dry cleaning—”

Lois waved a hand. “That’s alright, Nia, don’t worry about it. Walk with me?”

“Of course,” Nia responded immediately, practically skipping to keep up with Lois’ brisk walk. Was that a reporter thing? The more experienced you were, the faster you walked?

“Tell me about yourself, Nia,” Lois said. “Your supervisor speaks very highly of you. She loves your fashion column. Were you always interested in fashion?”

“I guess.” Nia shrugged. “It’s not something I ever thought about. I liked clothes, sure, but I thought everyone did. At least, every _girl_ did. I suppose the guys thought it was weird. Maybe that’s why I like fashion so much, it makes me feel like _me_.” Nia was aware that she was rambling to the editor-in-chief, but she couldn’t help herself.

“What do you mean?” Lois asked.

“Oh, I, uh…” Nia broke off in a laugh. She could never talk about her experiences as if they were universal experiences. Every piece of her past, when brought up to a new person, ended up as a coming out. “I’m a trans woman. That’s why I love fashion. Not that—not that _every_ trans woman loves fashion, but everyone acted like I shouldn’t.”

“You showed them,” Lois smiled. “How would you like to be a permanent fashion columnist? You might have to do some other writing, but you’d be expected to provide a column every single day. Could you handle that?”

“Could I—” Nia’s eyes nearly fell out of her head. “Yes, Ms. Lane, yes, I could handle it.”

“Just Lois is fine,” Lois laughed. “Well then, consider yourself promoted. Come up to my office with me and we’ll get the appropriate work filled out right away.”

By the time Lois led Nia up to her office on the top floor, she had completely forgotten about her perplexing dream. That was, until she noticed a picture of Lois with her arms wrapped around another woman on her desk. Something on the other woman’s hand caught her eye and when Lois’ back was turned, Nia picked up the photo.

On the woman’s hand was a green ring, one with a symbol similar to the one she’d seen in her dream.

“That’s my best friend, Jess,” Lois explained.

Nia set the picture down quickly, sliding her hands behind her back guiltily. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to touch your things. I just saw the ring and it—well nevermind, it’s not important.”

Lois stared at her for a moment, barely moving. “Her ring?”

“It’s nothing.”

Lois set the papers in her hands down onto the desk slowly. “What did you notice about her ring? And before you say ‘it’s nothing,’ let me assure you, it’s not nothing to me.”

Nia bit her lip. She never should have picked up the picture. After all, the symbol was different from the one in her dream. But Lois was staring at her so earnestly that she found herself telling her anyway.

“That symbol,” Nia said, “I’ve seen it somewhere else. In a… in a dream. But it was different and it was blue.”

Lois kept staring at her in a way that was much less friendly than their conversation earlier. Nia shifted uncomfortable, trying to avoid Lois’ penetrating gaze.

Finally Lois smiled again and took her phone out of her pocket. “I think you should meet my friend, Jess, Nia. You two might have a lot to talk about.”

**

Sam slid the newspaper slowly across Lena’s desk. The bold letters emblazoned across the top read “New Superhero Takes The World By Storm” and there, on the byline beneath the headline, was Lois Lane’s name. Lena stared at the photo of this new superhero flying across the sky, her blonde flowing behind her. She was wearing a new suit with blue along with the red and some gold, but it was unmistakably Kara.

“Why are you giving this to me?” Lena asked, pushing the newspaper back to Sam. She pretended to be hard at work, her eyes scanning the report on the computer screen in front of her, but she couldn’t take in a single word. Her fingers itched to snatch the newspaper back, read all about Kara and what she’d been up to in these past few weeks.

But Lena couldn’t let Sam know that she cared about Kara. She couldn’t let Sam see any kind of weakness in her.

“I thought you’d want to know what our little Red Lantern was up to,” Sam said as she slid the newspaper back under her arm. “Apparently she’s quite the do-gooder now.”

“Hm.” Lena leaned towards the computer screen, trying to act nonchalant.

Kara was playing a dangerous game now. It had been a few weeks since Lena or Sam had heard anything about Kara or the Red Lanterns. It agitated Sam, but relieved Lena. So long as Kara laid low, she was safe.

What was Kara doing now? Going out and playing the hero while the Red Lanterns were still after her? Lena desperately wanted to reach out to Kara and warn her about the impending threats. She no longer had just the Red Lanterns on her tail, but the Sinestro Corps as well. The sooner they caught Kara, the sooner they could focus on Lena. The sooner Lena would be forced to choose a side.

“I’ve alerted Sinestro and Bleez,” Sam told Lena. She gazed at Lena significantly, trying to get some kind of reaction out of her.

Lena had been doing this for weeks now. She knew Sam didn’t trust that Lena was completely on her side. Lena tread carefully around Sam, and Sam could tell. What Sam didn’t understand, though, was that Lena hadn’t just been doing this for weeks, but _years_. Now that she was back working for her brother at Luthor Corp, she felt right at home in her lies.

“Now that she’s out in the open,” Sam continued, “it’ll be easier to catch her. In fact, Sinestro brought up an interesting suggestion to prove your loyalty.”

Lena nodded, her eyes still on the computer screen. She hoped Sam couldn’t hear the racing of her heart as she thought about what horrible things Sinestro no doubt came up with to gain Lena’s loyalty. When she glanced over at Sam and saw her smile Lena knew she could sense her apprehension. After all, it was one of the specialties of the Yellow Lanterns.

“If you really want to show us that you’re on our side,” Sam said, leaning against Lena’s desk, “prove that you’ll choose yellow over green, then you’ll kill Kara Zor-El.”

Lena couldn’t stop herself from sucking in a sharp breath. Sam caught it and her grin widened.

“I knew it,” Sam sneered. “You’re still on their side.”

“You know I don’t trust the Green Lanterns any more than I trust the rest of the spectrum,” Lena shot back. “It’s not about my loyalty to them.”

“Then why would—” Sam stopped and studied Lena. She didn’t know what about her body language gave her away, but somehow Sam understood something. “Oh. I _see_.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lena said. It was only half a lie. Sure, she cared about Kara’s well-being, but she didn’t understand why that made Sam smile like she just caught Lena with her hand in the cookie jar.

“I’m quite certain you do,” Sam said. “You have a weakness.”

“Everyone has a weakness, even you,” Lena said, quick to turn the conversation on Sam.

Sam blinked, the steely expression fading for a moment, softness coming into her features as her mind wandered to whatever her weakness was. Just as quick as the expression came, though, it disappeared and Sam’s eyes narrowed again.

“We’re not talking about me,” Sam hissed.

Sam was an expert at deflecting Lena had come to learn.

“We’re not talking about me either,” Lena said. She waved at the door. “When you’re ready to talk about a _real_ plan of action, then we can talk. But I have work to do.”

Sam spared Lena one last glance, waiting for some kind of break in Lena’s resolve before spinning around and leaving the office.

Lena relaxed into her chair. So Sam had a weakness. It didn’t seem like Sam cared about anything except herself and Luthor Corp from what Lena knew about her. If Sam had family or any friends she really cared about, she never mentioned them to Lena.

The company records were vague and didn’t offer anything helpful. Sam’s only emergency contact was Lillian Luthor. Lena doubted that was who Sam was so worried about.

Google gave her what she was looking for. A simple search of “Samantha Arias” and Lena found dozens of articles from “The Daily Planet” about a single mother going missing and the daughter, Ruby Arias, searching desperately for her. The story was updated occasionally, but Ruby was no closer to finding her mother.

Lena checked the byline. Every single one of these articles was written by one Lois Lane.

Lena printed out the most recent article from a couple of weeks ago and let her secretary know she’d be out of the office for a while. It was time she paid her old friend a visit.

\---

There was a woman staring at Lena in fascination. Lois was currently out of the office running an errand so Lena had to wait outside her office. It was something she was used to after weeks of bringing damning reports from Luthor Corp, but she’d never had one of Lois’ employees stare at her like this.

“Is everything okay?” Lena finally asked the woman when she began to feel unnerved by the stare.

The woman quickly turned back to her computer and tapped on the keyboard furiously. Lena glanced at the computer screen and found she was typing gibberish.

“You can talk to me if you like,” Lena said gently. She hadn’t realized how sharp her voice had been until she’d scared the woman. “I won’t bite.”

“Who are you?” the woman asked suddenly.

Lena blinked. Most people who watched the news knew who she was, and this woman worked at a newspaper. How was it possible she wasn’t aware of Lena’s identity?

“I’m Lena,” she offered. It was likely this woman knew of the Luthors even if she didn’t recognize Lena on sight. If she didn’t give her last name, then Lena could remain unknown in this woman’s eyes. “I’m a friend of Lois’.”

“Nia,” the woman said, still slightly apprehensive of Lena. “I’m a fashion columnist here. Just—just out of curiosity, do you like the color blue?”

“That’s an interesting question,” Lena laughed. “I suppose I do. I don’t _hate_ it.”

Nia eyed her, in a more curious way than the way she was scrutinizing Lena before. “I think it’d look good on you.”

“Thank you?” Lena smiled. Nia was odd, but Lena liked her.

“Lena!” Lois’ voice took Lena’s attention away from Nia. Lena stood up, ready to start in on her questions about Ruby and Sam, but then she saw who Lois had brought with her.

Kara Zor-El and Jessica Cruz.

Kara was back in civilian clothes, a plaid shirt that showed off her broad shoulders and bulging muscles and high-waisted pants. Her blonde hair was up in a bun and she now wore glasses, as if that would distract people from her otherworldly beauty.

“Lena,” Kara sighed.

Lena remembered what Sam had said earlier, about Kara being a weakness. Sure, Lena had to admit she was attracted to Kara, but she didn’t care enough about Kara yet for her to be a weakness. She _couldn’t_ care about Kara.

“What is she doing here?” Lena asked Lois, ignoring the soft, relieved look Kara was giving her.

“I think it might be best if we discuss this in my office,” Lois said. “Nia? Are you coming?”

Nia jumped up from her desk and eagerly followed Lois into her office. This didn’t surprise Jessica and Kara that this reporter they’d never met before was allowed to be privy to their conversation.

Before Kara stepped into Lois’ office she stopped and smiled at Lena. “I’m really glad you came back, Lena.”

Lena’s expression hardened, as if that would force the butterflies to fly away from her stomach. “This doesn’t mean I forgive the Green Lanterns. I just have something I want to discuss with Lois.”

Kara shook her head, still smiling that soft, sunny smile at Lena. “You’re not bad. I know you’re not.”

“You don’t know anything about me,” Lena said. She left Kara behind and walked into Lois’ office.

Lois was leaning against her desk, gesturing between Nia and Jessica. “This is Jessica Cruz, the Green Lantern I was telling you about.”

Nia grinned and shook Jessica’s hand emphatically. “Lois told me all about the Green Lanterns. You all sound _amazing_ and I can’t believe I get to work with you.”

Lena glanced at Lois. “Uh, Lois? Why are we telling a random reporter about the Green Lanterns?”

“Nia can help us.” Lois said nothing more, as if that was all the explanation Lena required. “And Nia, this is Kara Zor-El, better known to the world as Supergirl.”

Nia bounded up to Kara. “I read Lois’ article about you, but it barely told me anything about who you _are_. Like, where did you even come from?”

“We’ll get to that,” Lois said quickly, pulling Nia away from Kara. “But first, I should probably deal with my friend Lena.” Lois raised her chin and crossed her arms. “What’s going on, Lena?”

Lena looked around the room at Jessica’s steely gaze, Kara’s confused and hurt expression, and Nia’s curious stare. She shifted uncomfortably under all the attention.

“Can we talk in private?” Lena asked Lois.

“We’re a team, Lena,” Lois said. “I know you don’t really understand what that means, but anything you say to me, you can say to them.”

Lena really didn’t want to talk about Sam in front of all these people, especially Kara. Kara knew who Sam was, and when she found that Lena had been working with Sam for the past few weeks, Kara might not find it in herself to forgive Lena. And for some reason, that Lena didn’t quite understand yet, she didn’t want to be beyond forgiveness in Kara’s eyes. She had a feeling it wouldn’t just hurt her, it would push her that final mile into the arms of Sinestro.

Lena sighed. Lois was Lena’s only hope of gaining any information about Sam and her possible weakness. Without Lois, Sam would always have the upper hand. And if Lois wanted her entire crew here, then Lena guessed she had no other choice but to acquiesce.

Lena passed the article to Lois. “Who is Ruby Arias?”

Jessica gave Lena a sharp look. “As in Samantha Arias? As in the Yellow Lantern you’re apparently working with?”

“I’m not working with her,” Lena insisted. “I’m just… keeping my options open.”

“I don’t know what you want me to do with this information,” Lois said, handing the article back to Lena. “Of course I’ve known all along where Ruby’s mom is, but I can’t tell her. She’d want to go running back to Sam and it’s not safe. Unless we can find a way to get Sam away from the influence of Sinestro, Ruby is much safer at her foster home.”

“You’re wrong,” Lena said softly as she stared down at the article. She hadn’t meant to say it out loud as the wheels in her mind turned, thinking of Sam’s reaction to Lena mentioning a weakness and the way she turned it back on Lena so quickly.

“Trust me, Lena,” Jessica said through gritted teeth. “It doesn’t matter what you do or say, we’re not reuniting Sam and her daughter. How do we know she didn’t send you here to get Ruby back anyway?”

“Because Sam wasn’t the one who told me about Ruby,” Lena explained. “I asked if she had a weakness and there was… a look. Something softer, like, just for a moment, she let her guard down. Then she changed the topic _very_ quickly.” There was no need to add that Sam also mentioned that Kara might be Lena’s own weakness. “I think if we had Sam see Ruby, even just out on the street, it might wake her up. Just a little.”

“That’s what happened to me,” Kara said. “I was with Bleez and the other Red Lanterns infecting a small planet with rage and one of the people there—I recognized them from Krypton. They were a refugee and they’d been rescued by this planet. It was then I realized what I was doing, that I couldn’t hurt someone I’d known. If Sam sees Ruby, even from a distance, it might help.”

“No way,” Jessica said. “I’m sorry, but I think with both the Red Lanterns and the Sinestro Corps keeping tabs on Earth right now, it’s far too dangerous to let Sam near her daughter. Especially if they can use Ruby against her to bring her back to their side.”

“So you’re just going to let Sam stay a Yellow Lantern,” Lena scoffed. “Even though there’s hope for her?”

Jessica stalked up to Lena and pointed a finger in her chest. “I think we need to handle one problem at a time. And right now, the problems need to be handled by the _Lanterns_. Which you’re not at the moment.”

Lena stared at Jessica, her eyes narrowed and her lips curving up into a smirk. “I still have my ring. As far as I’m concerned, that makes me a Green Lantern. And last I checked, you wanted me on your side.”

“Maybe we were wrong,” Jessica said. “Maybe you don’t fit every color. Maybe you were always meant for yellow, cowardly snake that you are running back to your family and begging forgiveness.”

“Jess,” Lois whispered.

Lena’s heart pounded and she squeezed her hands into fists so tightly that her nails bit into her palms. She grit her teeth and forced the rage back down, deep, deep into the back of her mind. Jessica was right, she was a Luthor through and through. And repressing emotions was one of the things Luthors excelled at.

Before Lena made a scene, she spun on her heel and walked out of Lois’ office. She forced thoughts out of her mind as she tried to calm herself. Her mind was so clear that she barely noticed where she was going until a bicyclist rammed straight into her.

Lena sprawled onto the ground, her skull hitting the pavement painfully and her knees skidding against the gravel. She felt around to the back of her head, trying to see if it was bleeding again. The wound from weeks ago had healed, but it was still sensitive. Luckily, she couldn’t feel any blood.

Her knees weren’t so lucky. The skin had been peeled right off and they were bleeding profusely. Lena pressed a hand against her knees but they stung too much to keep them there. She searched in her purse for a towel or a tissue, anything that could stop the bleeding.

“Here.”

Lena glanced up and found Kara standing above her, holding out a napkin. Lena took it gratefully and pressed it against each of her knees. Despite her anger at Jessica and Lois, Lena couldn’t help but relax upon seeing Kara’s face.

Lena let Kara help pull her up onto shaky legs. “Thanks,” Lena said. “How did you know I needed that?”

Kara’s cheeks turned slightly red. Was she really blushing? Lena refused to let herself believe it.

“Actually, I followed you down here to apologize on Jessica’s behalf. I still had napkins in my bag from lunch.”

Lena laughed and shook her head. Somehow, when Lena was in trouble, Kara always seemed to have just the right thing for the situation.

“You don’t have to apologize for Jessica,” Lena said. “Trust me, I don’t blame you. It’s just—I just want my life to go back to normal.”

“You were never normal, Lena,” Kara said quietly, almost as if she hadn’t meant to say it out loud. Then she looked up and smiled. “Do you want to come with me somewhere?”

Lena gave her a curious look. “Okay…”

Kara grabbed Lena’s hand and pulled her into a nearby alley. Lena laughed and asked, “What are you doing?”

Kara grinned at her and took Lena’s other hand in hers. “We have to fly there. Do you trust me?”

Lena didn’t even have to think about her answer. “Of course.”

“Then hold on tight.”

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked the new chapter! See y'all next week!


	8. Silence Under the Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena learns to open up, in more ways than one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, shorter chapter this week. But I don't think you'll mind too much ;)

Flying on her own was nothing like flying in Kara’s arms. Kara had more control than Lena had, and she darted through the air gracefully. Lena remembered the first time she had flown, how terrified she had been. Now, she felt safe.

Sure, she had flown in Kara’s arms before, but she was also only half-conscious. Now that she was fully awake, she was hyper-focused on the feeling of Kara’s strong arm muscles wrapped around her waist, keeping her flush against Kara’s chest.

“Almost there,” Kara whispered into Lena’s hair.

When Kara finally floated gently onto the ground and loosened her grip, Lena felt cold. She wanted to pull Kara back in again, but she would have no way of explaining herself if she did. So she wrapped her arms around her own stomach instead, trying and failing to emulate the warmth she’d felt in Kara’s arms.

Lena looked around, trying to figure out where exactly Kara had taken her. She found that she was standing in the center of a deep hole, the sky above full of bright, twinkling stars. They must be far away from the city if Lena could see the stars so easily.

That’s when it hit her. “This is where you fell,” Lena said quietly.

Kara nodded, walking around the crater like she owned it. “I come here a lot to think. It’s quiet and it’s… it’s where I first met you.” Kara looked up at Lena, a vulnerable expression on her face.

Lena had to glance away from her and she pretended to study the dirt beneath her feet. They remained quiet, as if they were both waiting for the other to speak up first.

Kara was the first to break. “How are your knees?”

Lena had completely forgotten she had hurt herself. In fact, she hadn’t felt the stinging sensation for some time, not while Kara was flying her out here, and not now that Kara pointed it out to her.

Lena glanced down at her knees expecting to find blood streaking down her legs. Instead, her knees were completely healed—no wound, no scab, nothing but a faint scar to prove that there had been a wound there at all.

“What the hell?” Lena’s legs gave out and she fell to the ground, pulling her knees up to her chest to study them closer, as if the outcome would change. She glanced at Kara. “You’re seeing this too, aren’t you?”

Kara bit her lip and slowly crouched down in from of Lena. Her fingers hovered over Lena’s knees, just millimeters away from touching them. Lena’s hairs stood up, reaching towards Kara’s fingers as if they could wrap around them and pull them to Lena’s skin. When Kara spoke, she did it so quietly that Lena had to strain to hear her.

“Lantern rings have slight healing abilities. But Lena… you’re not wearing yours, are you?”

Lena shook her head. She hadn’t dared to put it on since that day she threw it across the room. It had annoyed Sam to no end, that Lena’s ring wasn’t out and proud on her finger. But so long as Sam was around her, Lena had to keep it hidden away from her.

“Then how did you heal by yourself?” Kara mused, more to herself than to Lena. The tip of her finger brushed over Lena’s knee and a tingling sensation crept through Lena’s skin, making her heart race. Kara pulled her hand back as soon as it made contact and held it against her chest. “I’m sorry.”

Lena shook her head, swallowing thickly. “It’s okay.”

Kara breathed heavily in the silence that hung between them. She closed her eyes briefly and whispered, “Your heart is beating so fast.” She opened her eyes again and stared at Lena intensely.

Lena’s heart pounded faster the longer Kara stared at her like that. But no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn’t look away.

“Are you scared?” Kara asked. “I got kid of my Red Lantern ring weeks ago, but if I make you uncomfortable in any way—”

“I’m not scared,” Lena said in a rushed voice. “It’s not fear.”

“Then why is your heart beating so fast?” Kara furrowed her brow, her stare growing more intense by the second as she examined Lena. Lena tried to keep her breath steady and slow her heart, but it was impossible when Kara was so close and watching her so carefully. Finally Kara leaned back and her face cleared. “Oh.”

Lena stood up suddenly and turned away from Kara. “Can you take me home?”

Lena didn’t get an answer right away. She crossed her arms and took slow, deep breaths as she tried to calm herself down. How could someone she barely knew have such a powerful affect on her? No one she’d ever dated in the past was able to make her feel this strongly, yet one touch from Kara sent her heart into a panic.

Suddenly Lena felt a warm presence behind her. She sighed as she felt Kara’s arms move, wavered just around Lena’s waist. Without thinking, she grabbed Kara’s hands and pressed them into Lena’s hips. She heard Kara’s sigh of relief behind her and her own heart began to calm down now that she was touching Kara.

“Nothing makes sense to me right now,” Lena whispered as Kara’s chest flattened itself against Lena’s back. “Especially not this. But being here with you, Kara… it feels like everything is right as it should be.”

“I don’t know why,” Kara breathed into Lena’s neck, “but I feel the same way.”

Lena couldn’t take it anymore. She spun around in Kara’s arms and grasped Kara’s face in between her hands, bringing her lips closer, closer, _closer…_

“Are you sure about this?” Kara murmured. “I thought you didn’t trust me.”

“The only person I trust is myself,” Lena agreed. “And my heart is telling me this is right.”

Lena brought Kara’s face down those few extra spaces and finally kissed her.

Despite knowing it was coming, Kara gasped with surprise into Lena’s mouth. Lena wrapped her tongue around the sound and swallowed it. She pushed further into Kara, letting Kara’s strong arms wrap around Lena’s body tightly and support her weight. Lena lost herself fully into kissing Kara, pulling out every noise Kara could possibly make out of her mouth.

Only when Lena had to pull herself back from Kara to take a breath, did she notice that they were floating about a yard above the ground. Lena tightened her grip around Kara’s neck while Kara laughed and kissed Lena’s forehead playfully.

“You’re okay,” Kara whispered. “I’ve got you.”

And just those five simple words calmed Lena down immensely. It was strange, learning to trust someone other than herself. If it was anyone else, Lena would have been sure they’d drop her the first chance they got. Yet, with Kara, she knew that no matter what happened, Kara would keep Lena safe.

That was why Lena felt okay loosening her arms before going back in for another kiss. Even when Kara panted breathlessly into Lena’s mouth, her grip on Lena remained strong and secure. Lena almost wanted to see how far she could go before Kara couldn’t hold onto her any longer.

Lena slid one of her legs up Kara’s thigh before curling it around Kara’s hips and digging her heel into her ass. At the slightest pressure of Lena’s leg, Kara whimpered and dug her fingers into Lena’s back.

“What are you doing?” Kara breathed.

“Testing you.” Lena smiled and stroked her fingers down Kara’s cheek. “I want to know just how much I can trust you.”

“Do you _want_ me to drop you?”

Lena shook her head. “Of course not. I’m not doing this to see if you _will_ drop me, I’m doing this because I know you won’t.”

Kara smiled that soft, blinding smile of hers. “You have more faith in me than I do.”

Lena didn’t know what to say to that, so she leaned back in and captured Kara’s lips in hers, biting down gently on the lower lip. Kara made a desperate whimper and melted into Lena’s body, letting her have her way with her.

Lena trailed her fingers down Kara’s neck and over her chest. She traced the outline of Kara’s breasts through her shirt before she realized it might be better to remove the offending fabric. Her fingers easily undid the buttons and she pushed Kara’s shirt off, watching as it landed on the ground and sent up a pile of dust.

“Sorry,” Lena said as the dirt settled onto the shirt.

“Who cares about the shirt,” Kara said roughly, using one arm to bring Lena’s hands to her breasts. Lena immediately removed them, much to Kara’s disgust, before leaning her head down and kissing the skin gently. Lena felt Kara’s muscles pull tight as she sighed.

Lena moved her lips softly over Kara’s soft breasts, using her teeth to push the fabric of Kara’s bra away so she could roll her tongue over her nipple. Kara squeaked and Lena felt them dip a few inches, but Kara never let go of Lena.

As smoothly as she possibly could in her position, Lena traced her fingers down over Kara’s taut stomach until they dipped into her pants. She heart Kara suck in a breath as Lena pushed her fingers lower, lower, _lower_ until they found themselves buried in Kara’s wet, tight heat.

“Oh _Rao_ ,” Kara cried, her muscles straining to hold onto Lena.

Lena rested her head on Kara’s breast as she glanced down at her hand buried in the front of Kara’s pants and felt her fingers moving around the inside of Kara’s cunt. She prodded at the curves and folds, forcing Kara to cry out every time she brushed against a sensitive spot. Lena felt her own underwear starting to grow damp.

As Kara moved her hands along Lena’s back, urgently trying to fix her hold, Lena lifted her head back up and kissed Kara. Or rather, Lena’s lips brushed Kara’s as she swallowed every desperate sound she made. She moved her fingers faster, pushing them eagerly into every sweet spot they could find.

Just when she thought Kara would let her go, Kara let herself go as she tensed her body, threw her head back and moaned loudly into the stars. Lena continued to curl her fingers inside Kara until she floated all the way down to the ground.

Kara fell onto her back, pulling Lena down with her. She kissed Lena fervently, smiling against her lips. Lena couldn’t help but grin at the feeling and she pulled back.

“What are you so happy about?” Lena asked.

“What do you think?” Kara laughed, pushing back a loose strand of Lena’s hair. She let her fingers linger there for a few moments and Lena’s skin began to tingle. She pulled her head away from Kara’s touch, not sure if she liked the sensation or not.

“We should probably go home,” Lena said suddenly.

Kara cocked her head. “Don’t you want me to return the favor?”

Lena did, more than anything. She glanced down at Kara’s bare chest, her one bra cup still skewed to the side of her nipple. She reached out and brushed a finger around the nipple, causing Kara to bite down on her lip and look up at Lena with wide expectant eyes.

“Was this a mistake?” Lena whispered, more to herself than to Kara.

But Kara heard it anyway and her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. Lena wanted to give her an answer, if only to get that look off Kara’s face. But she couldn’t for two reasons. The first was that Lena didn’t even really know why she said that in the first place, why she thought it was mistake when she could feel her heart assuring her it was so, _so_ right.

The second reason was that before Lena could even open her mouth to attempt to explain it to Kara, she was pulled up and away from Kara by a pair of unfamiliar arms.

Lena had barely any time to react before some kind of mask was forced over her mouth and gas was pumped into her throat. The last thing she saw before her eyes closed was Kara running toward her, screaming her name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week's chapter will be longer, I promise!


	9. What Am I Doing Here?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena comes face to face with her greatest enemy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to normal chapter length this week! That finale has inspired me soooooo much and I'm so ready to bring on the angst. Enjoy!

Bright, fluorescent light shined directly into Lena’s eyes, waking her up with a start. She couldn’t see much beyond the blinding whiteness, but she hears strange voices speaking above her in an unfamiliar language.

One voice suddenly shushed the other and the light was moved so that Lena could just barely make out a large, blue face peering down at her. It glanced back behind itself and said something in that same language before turning back to Lena and turning its lips down in what appeared to be a frown. Then it lifted a mask and began to lower it over Lena’s face.

“No!”

The word tore from Lena’s throat unbidden. She tried to push the creature back with her hands, only to find them restrained to the table she laid on. She groaned in frustration and turned her head away from the mask. She focused all of her energy into pulling the straps free despite the fact that it was useless.

To her astonishment, the restraints broke.

Lena lifted her arms and pushed, with as much strength as she could muster after having been drugged for hours, the creature away from her. Apparently she was much stronger than she originally thought and the creature flew across the room and hit the wall with a shuddering _thud_.

Lena wasted no time jumping off the table and running for the door on the other side of the room. When the door wouldn’t budge at first, Lena used her newfound strength and rammed her shoulder against the door. It immediately came off its hinges and Lena stumbled through the hole left by the door. She found her footing again easily and bolted down the long, white hallway.

Lena didn’t think about where she was going, she just ran until she could find some kind of exit. She thought she’d found refuge at last when she spotted a door with a complicated electronic pad at the end of the hall. The lock would be nothing for Lena, she’d hacked much more complicated security systems before.

She skidded to a stop in front of the door and broke open the lock pad. She fiddled with the wires inside, nearly there when she heard a calm, slightly familiar voice behind her.

“I would not do that if I were you.”

Lena laughed and ignored the warning. Of course they wouldn’t want her to escape. She finished reworking the wires and the door slid open. Lena glanced behind herself before slipping through the doorway, sure that she would be chased and stopped.

To her surprise, another creature stood alone on the opposite side of the hall, watching her silently. The strangest part to Lena, though, wasn’t that it did nothing. No, the strangest part was that Lena recognized the creature.

Lena remembered Lois’ warning all of a sudden. _“Unless we can find a way to get Sam away from the influence of Sinestro, Ruby is much safer at her foster home.”_

But Lena had never seen Sinestro. She didn’t know what he looked like or if this was him for sure. He was definitely a Yellow Lantern based on the bright yellow suit he wore with a symbol that matched the one on Sam’s ring.

“ _Sinestro brought up an interesting suggestion to prove your loyalty,”_ Sam had said. She had shown Lena her ring plenty of times, as if that would convince her to join the Sinestro Corps.

“ _I never suspected that we would actually work with the Sinestro Corps.”_

Kara had let her know that the Red Lanterns were in league with Sinestro, but why was she remembering this now? If this creature standing in front of her now really was Sinestro, her brain was bringing up all these memories for a reason. It was trying to force her to place where she’d seen this creature before.

It hit her like a tidal wave. Years ago, Lena sprawled in a ditch while two aliens stood above her. One with light blue skin and a red suit and the other—the creature standing in front of her now. And then the Red Lantern spoke, called the other by name.

“ _I knew the Green Lanterns were foolish, Sinestro, but I never expected them to be so utterly stupid.”_

So it really was Sinestro himself standing at the end of the hallway, carefully watching Lena’s next move. Lena wondered if he knew her mind had been wiped, if he knew the Green Lanterns would rather give her amnesia than let her fight.

Lena would really rather not stick around to find out. Though she didn’t trust the Green Lanterns right now, but she as hell didn’t trust Sinestro any more.

She turned around, ready to walk out of whatever creepy hospital she had been taken captive in. That was when she realized she wasn’t in a hospital, or at least, not an ordinary one. In fact, she wasn’t even on _Earth_.

Outside the window was an endless black void filled with billions of twinkling stars. Lena could just make out some distant planets, but none of them were Earth. It was entirely possible she’d been kidnapped to another galaxy.

Lena stumbled backward into the hallway again. She heard a scalding laugh.

“I told you, Lantern Luthor,” Sinestro said, his voice sounding closer now. Lena whirled around and found him standing just a few feet away from her. He lifted his hand and pieces of the electronic lock rearranged themselves. “There, good as new.”

“What am I doing here, Sinestro?” Lena asked.

Sinestro smiled and stalked over the wide window that showed the expanse of the galaxy. Lena had been so focused on escaping that she hadn’t even noticed the huge obvious sign announcing that she was in the middle of space. She’s so stupid.

“So you know who I am.” When Sinestro spoke he faced the window, as if he was speaking to someone on the other side instead of someone behind him. “Either Lantern Arias succeeded at her job or you remembered what the Green Lanterns forced you to forget.”

Sinestro _did_ know about the memory erasing the Green Lanterns had done to her. No doubt he would use that to his advantage.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Lena shot back. She would deal with Sinestro knowing about her amnesia at a later time. There were more important things she needed to know right now. “What am I doing here?”

Yet again, Sinestro avoided her question. “Has Lantern Arias told you what makes you so important yet?”

Sinestro reminded Lena of Lex. He would try to distract Lena’s own questions with more questions of his own until Lena felt that she had the information Lex needed, that she had the power in the situation. Of course, she eventually figured out that Lex already knew everything.

The one good thing that came out of Lena growing up with Lex was that she now knew how to avoid falling for tricks like this. She wouldn’t give Sinestro an answer until he gave her one.

“What. Am. I. Doing. Here?” Lena asked again.

Sinestro sighed and turned to face her finally. “I see you are a stubborn Lantern. Shall we speak in private? I would rather not continue this conversation out in the open like this.”

“The last time you had me in private you had one of your minions try to gas me,” Lena pointed out. “I’m just fine here, thank you very much.”

“Can we at least go somewhere more _comfortable_ then?” Sinestro gestured to an open doorway, through which Lena saw slick lounge chairs that seemed to belong in some sci-fi movie. She had to admit, she was feeling drained from her recent exertion of power. More importantly, though, there was an easy exit if Sinestro tried to knock her out again. How she would get out after that, she’d just have to figure out when the time comes.

Lena nodded and let Sinestro lead her into the nearly empty room. Across the room were a few Yellow Lanterns gathered together, discussing something in rushed whispers. Lena desperately wished she could hear what they were saying, but they were speaking in that strange language she’d heard earlier.

Sinestro sat down far away from the group so that even if Lena _could_ understand what they were saying, she wouldn’t be able to hear them. Clever move, Sinestro.

“I’m sure you have figured out what you are doing here all on your own,” Sinestro started. “You are much smarter than you appear. Especially for a human.”

Lena bristled at his words, but refused to let Sinestro see how they affected her. “I just want to make sure I’m right.”

One side of Sinestro’s lips tilted up. “I see what you are doing. You want me to explain everything to you until I end up telling you something you did not already know. Is that not correct, Lantern Luthor?”

Although Lena had figured out how to notice Lex’s tactics, she had yet to figure out how to best him.

She thought of Sinestro’s words, how she was much smarter than she looked. Her family was always doing that, underestimating her, thinking she was way more naive and ignorant than she really was. Because of this, they sometimes let slip secrets they didn’t want her to hear.

Lena had to use that underestimation to her advantage if she was going to get the information she wanted from Sinestro.

“Here’s what I know,” Lena said, leaning forward. “The Yellow Lanterns are trying to kill every Lantern out there. Is that right?”

Sinestro laughed so hard he actually snorted. “You know less than I thought! You really think that is my ultimate plan?”

Inside, Lena smiled victoriously. On the outside, she feigned surprise. “What? It’s not? But I thought—”

“I would be a fool to try to kill every Lantern,” Sinestro said. “I hardly have the army for it. For my plan to work, I need more Lanterns on my side. I would not work with the Red Lanterns otherwise.”

Lena already knew about the Sinestro Corps working with the Red Lanterns, but she didn’t know that it was to create a bigger army. What in the world would he need a bigger army for?

“You’re working with the Red Lanterns?” Lena asked, choosing to focus on the information she already knew. She couldn’t ask about the army outright, but hopefully if she asked about the Red Lanterns, Sinestro would accidentally spill information about his army.

“A bunch of imbeciles, the lot of them,” Sinestro grumbled, “but for now I need numbers if I am to overtake the Green Lanterns.”

Lena struggled to reign in her shock at this new information, tried to make it seem as if it didn’t affect her at all. But Sinestro caught her expression anyway and realized he had said too much. He had given Lena exactly the information she wanted.

“You sneaky little Lantern,” Sinestro said. “What am I to do with you?”

“Tell me what I have to do with all of this,” Lena said.

“I have told you too much already,” Sinestro replied. “It is your turn now. What do you know?”

Lena’s turn was up. She had gotten what she needed, so she might as well give Sinestro a crumb of her knowledge.

“I already knew you were working with the Red Lanterns,” Lena started. “I know that Sam Arias is part of the Sinestro Corps and I know that she wants me to join your side. And I know—” Lena cut herself, not sure yet if she wanted Sinestro to know what else she knew.

But Sinestro had caught her anyway. “What else do you know?”

Lena had to tell Sinestro at least one more bit of information. As much as she didn’t to tell him her knowledge of her importance, she _really_ didn’t want to tell him about her friendship with Kara. If she did, Kara could get hurt, and Lena couldn’t let that happen. Especially after everything Kara had risked to help Lena.

“I know that I’m not just a Green Lantern,” Lena said finally. “I know that I could be any color I wanted. What I don’t know is how you’re going to use me to your advantage. That’s all I know, I swear.”

Sinestro studied, trying to find some weakness in Lena’s facade that proved she was lying. Lena knew he would find nothing. If there was one thing she had perfected, it was lying.

Sinestro sat back, satisfied with Lena’s answer. “A Rainbow Lantern is what we call someone like you. You are a very rare specimen indeed, Lantern Luthor. The last time we saw one of your kind was thousands of years ago.”

“What color did they choose?” Lena asked. If there was someone else out there like her, even if they existed long before she did, Lena wanted to know everything about them.

Sinestro remained quiet for a moment. A moment too long, Lena noticed. He had been caught off guard by Lena’s question and was trying to decide whether or not he should lie. Based on the answer he gave Lena, she guessed he’d decided to lie.

“Yellow. She knew which color was the most powerful, which one would give her the most satisfaction. In fact, from what I know of her, you are a lot like her.”

Lena pretended she believed him. “You think yellow would be the best color for me, then?”

“I do. I have watched you for many years, Lantern Luthor, waiting for you to rediscover your power. I have seen you work for your family’s company. You tell people without your products their houses will be robbed, they will have no way to protect themselves against a terrorist attack. Without fear, your family would not be as successful as they are.”

Sinestro had lied yet again. Lena knew that he hadn’t really been watching her, if he had, then he would have known that she didn’t agree with her family’s fear tactics. Someone had given him this information, led him to believe that Lena was just as ruthless as the rest of the Luthors.

Suddenly, Lena had an advantage over Sinestro.

“I suppose you’re right,” Lena agreed. “I’m good at using fear to get what I want. But you still haven’t answered my question. What am I doing here?”

“Oh, but I have answered it. I want you to see that you belong on my side, Lantern Luthor. I want you to see what power you can have with the yellow ring.”

“I know you want me on your side, that much is obvious. But if I chose your side, you’d know doubt use my unique power to your advantage. So I ask again, what am I doing here?”

Sinestro leaned forward and when he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. Lena glanced back at the Yellow Lanterns in the corner of the room and noticed they were watching Lena and Sinestro intently. If Sinestro was worried about them listening in on their conversation, it meant they knew English. Which also meant that they had been speaking in that other language on purpose so Lena couldn’t understand them. Lena didn’t know how to use this information to her advantage just yet, but she filed it away in her mind for later.

“I need you as a spy,” Sinestro whispered. “Go to every color on the spectrum, tell them you have chosen them and convince them to see my side. As a Rainbow Lantern, they will trust your opinion.”

“And the Green Lanterns?”

“They are smarter than the other colors and have far more members. They have their own spies and they will know you are up to something. Try to avoid them as much as possible. I will dispatch one of my other Lanterns to deal with any pesky Green Lantern that tries to get in your way. So what do you say, Lantern Luthor, do you choose yellow?”

Lena remembered when she had agreed with Lex to be his business partner. Even as she shook his hand, she knew that she would use his trust to try to tear him down. She felt the same way as she gave Sinestro a sly grin and said, “I choose yellow.”

**

No matter how hard Nia concentrated, she couldn’t conjure a vision. She had been trying for almost an hour now, trying to prove herself worthy to Lois and Jessica, but so far all she’d gotten was a headache. She sighed and slumped back in her seat.

“I’m sorry,” she said to Lois and Jessica. “I can’t do it.”

“It’s alright,” Lois said gently from where she was perched on her desk.

“You _can_ do it,” Jessica said, getting up from Lois’ desk chair and pacing the room. “You’ve done it before. How did you get your visions before?”

“I didn’t _try_ to get these visions,” Nia said. “I was asleep.”

Jessica stopped her pacing suddenly. Nia could practically see the wheels turning over and over in her brain. Jessica came up with an answer at the same time Nia fit the pieces together herself.

“They’re dreams!” Jessica exclaimed, clapping her hands together triumphantly. “I mean, they’re still visions, but they only appear when you’re dreaming.”

“So all you have to do is fall asleep and you’ll see a vision?” Lois asked.

That shouldn’t be a problem given Nia’s narcolepsy. There was only one problem. “I can’t exactly control when I fall asleep. And even when I fall asleep, I can’t control what I see. So if you wanted me to see the Red Lanterns’ next move, I might not be able to.”

“You can’t control it _now_ ,” Jessica said, coming to kneel in front of Nia’s chair. “But the fact that you have this power shows that you _can_ control it, given time and practice. Do you think when I first received this ring that I knew what I was doing right away?”

Jessica seemed like she’d always had control over her power. But Nia knew that wasn’t the answer Jessica was looking for, so she shook her head.

“I was hopeless when I first got this ring. I couldn’t even make a construct and I was susceptible to rage and fear. I thought the ring had made a mistake when it chose me, a weak, anxiety-ridden kid with PTSD. But then I realized the ring chose me not in spite of those things, but _because_ it knew I could overcome them. Nia, your power doesn’t exist for some random reason. It exists because you can control it.”

Nia didn’t feel like she really could, but it was hard to disbelieve Jessica when she talked like that. Nia also struggled picturing Jessica as an anxiety-ridden kid, but it still made her feel slightly better.

“Okay,” Nia said, a new energy suddenly invigorating her body. “What’s your advice?”

Jessica gestured to the couch in the corner of Lois’ office and instructed Nia to lie down. “Get nice and comfortable. Do you want a blanket?”

“I don’t keep blankets in my office,” Lois pointed out.

“But you have a couch?” Jessica asked.

“It’s for interviews,” Lois argued. “It makes people feel more relaxed.”

Lumps and ridges dug into Nia’s back as she laid down. She squirmed a little, but no matter what position she took, there was just no winning with this couch. “Uh, Lois, Jessica? Can I borrow your jackets? Or something else cushiony?”

“Shit, Lane, how cheap did you go with that couch?” Jessica asked as she tossed Lois’ sweater in Nia’s direction.

“The couch was never meant for sleeping! I didn’t exactly think about the comfort levels when picking it out.”

Nia tried lying back down on top of Lois’ sweater, but she could still feel every lump in the universe. She sat back up and sighed. “Maybe we should try this another day. Preferably somewhere with a comfier couch. Besides, I have work to do.”

Jessica frowned, but Lois agreed that Nia needed to get back to her new assignment, they’d wasted enough time trying to get Nia to control her power. With her headache and her ever-increasing frustration, Nia had never looked forward to working so much in her life.

Kara Zor-El storming through Lois’ office kind of put a damper to those plans.

“Lantern Cruz,” Kara announced, careful to move around Nia and avoid shoving her out of the way, “I need your help.”

Everyone in the room could tell that something serious was up, something Kara couldn’t fix on her own. Given what Nia had seen of Kara’s powers, she could fix a lot of things on her own, so this had to be incredibly dire.

“What’s going on?” Lois asked in a calm voice.

“It’s Lena.” Kara spoke so quickly that it was hard to make out the individual words she said. “She was kidnapped by some Yellow Lanterns. I wanted to stop them, but they were gone too quickly and without my Red Lantern ring, I have no idea how to find them. Please, Jessica, you have to help me get her back.”

Jessica sighed and leaned against Lois’ desk, her arms folded across her chest. “Lena’s not an official Green Lantern. And you know what she is, she can choose any color she wants. If she chooses to side with the Yellow Lanterns it would turn into a kidnapping, not a rescue. I’m sorry, Kara, I just don’t know if it’s worth risking Lantern lives for.”

“How can you even say that?” Kara’s voice cracked and she narrowed her eyes in a way Nia recognized as trying to stop herself from crying. “She’s our friend.”

“She’s _your_ friend,” Jessica corrected. “And I don’t even know why. Every time we try to help her, she goes against us again.”

“I thought you wanted her on your side?” Kara asked.

“I don’t want someone who isn’t sure what side she wants to be on,” Jessica explained. “It was different when she was younger, when she didn’t know how many colors there were in the spectrum. But now that she does, and seeing what she’s grown up to become… I’m not so sure she’s as green as she is yellow.”

Nia swore she saw fire burning in Kara’s eyes for a moment. Perhaps it really was fire, Nia had read that Supergirl could shoot lasers out of her eyes.

“You’re wrong,” Kara insisted. “She just doesn’t know who to trust. None of you will explain anything to her, none of you will give her a _chance_. If you did—”

Nia never got to hear the end of Kara’s statement as she her mind began to shut down and darkness overtook her vision. She recognized the signs of one of her narcoleptic attacks and knew there was no use fighting against it. Besides, this was what she’d been trying to do all afternoon anyway.

_When the darkness cleared from Nia’s vision she could just barely make out a blurry scene in front of her. Everything surrounding her was white, the walls, the floors, the décor. The only thing that wasn’t white were the people. Or rather, their clothes weren’t white. Nia couldn’t exactly make out their features and the color of their skin._

_Nia took a step forward, trying to make out the features of the people passing through the hallways. No matter how close she got though, she couldn’t see what they really looked like. Their clothes on the other hand, were all too familiar to Nia._

_Everyone that passed through the hallway wore the bright yellow shirts she’d seen on old episodes of_ Star Trek _. There were no other colors, no red or blue, just that obnoxious yellow._

_Nia traveled through the hallway, trying to find someone who had some other color. She found a bright light filtering through one of the walls and she passed through it. Nia had to shield her eyes from the blinding display of all colors of the rainbow._

_Nia backed away until her back hit something. She turned around and suddenly she was floating among the stars. The stars blinked out all at once and Nia counted to three before only one blinked back into existence. It happened over and over and over and…_

“Nia!” Lois cried. “Are you alright?”

“I had a vision,” Nia whispered, her head still swimming. To the best of her ability, she explained what she had seen. It made no sense to her, but realization came over Jessica and Kara’s faces.

“She’s at the Yellow Lanterns’ base,” Kara said.

“In Sector negative 0001,” Jessica said.

Nia didn’t quite understand the significance, but based on their reactions, she knew it wasn’t good news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and I'll see you next week!


	10. Emotion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena forgets how to feel, until she remembers again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is technically a day late, but I was super busy this week and had almost no time to write. Nevertheless, I persisted and I uploaded this chapter (hopefully) not that late. Happy reading!

The last time Lena felt this much power was years ago, before she found her Green Lantern ring again, before she was appointed CBO, before she even began working for her brother at Luthor Corp. She knew she’d felt power like this only once before, but the memory was too distant for her to grasp and recall exactly when that was.

When Lena slipped on the yellow ring the first few times, she’d resisted the overwhelming urge to give in fully to the power of her fear. It felt almost as if it had been building up for years, waiting for that very moment to be consumed and used as a weapon.

Lena’s fear of the ring itself only translated into even more power so that she had to purposely will herself to take the ring off. She had to remember why she had agreed to join Sinestro in the first place. She had to remember who she was.

The only problem was, she was a Luthor.

Little by little, as Sinestro sent her out to do his bidding, she fell into the comfort the yellow ring offered her. It was addicting, the feeling she got as the ring seemed to pull the fear out of her. She had never realized how much fear she always had until it was taken away from her.

“You love it don’t you?” Sam stepped beside Lena in her matching Yellow Lantern suit. “The Fear?”

Lena avoided Sam’s glance and twisted her ring on her finger. Somewhere in the back of her mind was a voice begging her to take it off, find another way to defeat Sinestro. But a louder, stronger voice shut it up immediately, forced it back into a corner where Lena couldn’t hear it.

“I was scared at first,” Sam admitted when Lena didn’t respond. “But the fear just made me stronger. It didn’t take long for me to get used to it, to fall in love with it.”

Lena suddenly remembered what she’d found out just moments before she was kidnapped by Sinestro, that there was something out there Sam loved more than the Fear.

“Do you have any relatives left on Earth?” Lena mused.

A flicker of recollection, or maybe the pre-Sinestro Corps Sam flashed on her face for a moment. “Any relatives I had don’t matter anymore. The Sinestro Corps is my family now.” She turned to Lena with a stony expression. “They’re your family, too. If you betrayed us to go back to the Luthors—”

“I never would,” Lena said quickly. There was no force in the universe that would make her go back to her family. Going back to a certain blonde alien on the other hand…

No. She had to forget about Kara. They had a connection, sure, but Kara didn’t care about Lena nearly as much as saving the world and being a hero. If she did, then wouldn’t she have made some kind of effort to contact Lena in the past few weeks? Wouldn’t she have cared about what happened to Lena?

Thinking about Kara’s indifference to her situation made it a little easier for Lena to give into the yellow ring’s power. Kara seemed to be the only person left on Earth who gave a shit about Lena until something actually happened to her. Now Lena was afraid there was no one left who cared about her.

“Good,” Sam said, “once you betray a Lantern Corps, there’s no telling what they’ll do to make you pay.”

Lena’s head whipped around to face Sam fully. “They will?”

“Hell yeah. You saw what happened to that Red Lantern that came to Earth. They’re still trying to kill her after the little stunt she pulled stealing your ring.”

Lena took a deep breath, but her anxiety didn’t sink to the pit of her stomach as it used to. That was something else she’d had to get used to, the absence of fear when she knew she should be feeling it.

“Would the Green Lanterns do that to someone who’d betrayed them?” Lena asked, her voice coming out smooth and fearless instead of shaky like she’d expected.

Sam grinned at her. “You worried?”

“I don’t _feel_ worried,” Lena told her, “but I know I should be.”

“It’s the ring. It’s a lifesaver, don’t you think?”

It was something, but lifesaver wasn’t exactly what Lena would call it. After all, if you’re in a dangerous situation, shouldn’t you feel some fear? If you didn’t, you’d have no motivation to fight for your survival.

“But you’ve got nothing to worry about,” Sam continued. “If those green assholes come after us, we’re prepared to defend you.”

Lena froze. That was a sentiment she wasn’t used to. When she’d started at Luthor Corp, the first words Lex had said to her were, “If you fuck up, you’re on your own. I’m not letting the company go down with you.” Even when she was leaking the documents to Lois, she never felt like Lois had her back. Kara was the only person she’d ever felt like would fight for her.

Until she left Lena alone in the cold emptiness of space.

“Th-thank you,” Lena stuttered out. “That—that really means a lot to me.”

“Now don’t be getting all emotional on me, Lantern Luthor,” Sam said, putting some distant between the two of them, as if emotions were contagious. “We’re Yellow Lanterns, that’s not what we do.”

Lena nodded. She’d hid her emotions successfully from her family for years. It was nothing to her now. In fact, she’d gotten so used to pushing down feelings that for Sam’s words to bring her to near tears was surprising. She’d never felt so overcome with emotion, especially not since she put on the yellow ring.

“Lantern Arias,” a voice rang out across the hallway. Another Yellow Lantern with red skin stood in a doorway, looking frustrated. “Report immediately to Section 5R-B for mission planning. You’re late.”

Sam straightened up suddenly, a more human gesture than any Lena had seen Sam do previously. Then, just as quickly, she gave a curt goodbye to Lena before leaving for her meeting.

Lena sighed and headed toward the large window that looked out upon the vast galaxy. She’d found herself doing this any time she felt alone in the past weeks. For some reason, looking out at the millions of stars and planets in the world made her feel less alone.

She caught a light streaking across the sky. She didn’t realize there were shooting stars this far away from Earth, but then again, why wouldn’t there be? It was childish, and she’d been told so many times by her mother, but Lena closed her eyes anyway and concentrated on a wish. There was only one thing to wish for in this moment and though it was unlikely it’d come true, it was nice to have something to hope for.

Lena backed away from the window, feeling a little more full than she had a few minutes ago. She made her way through the base, easily finding her secret passage to her chambers. She’d discovered this path only a few days into her alliance with the Sinestro Corps. She’d done the same at Luthor Corps, finding a little traveled stairwell to use so she didn’t always have to be surrounded. In a place where she was always being watched, these passages were havens.

That was, until Lena was tugged into well-hidden sconce in the hall she’d never noticed before. Her mind flashed back to getting taken by the Yellow Lanterns and her stomach swooped in a sudden surge of fear she hadn’t felt in weeks. She used to hate the feeling, but now she welcomed it. It reminded her that she was still human.

Lena barely thought about it as she threw her foot backward and kicked her assailant in the knees. She heard a soft grunt as their arms released her. Lena whirled around, ready to continue her her fight when her eyes met a familiar pair of blue ones.

“Kara?” Lena whispered. She whipped her head around, making sure they were alone in the hallway before pushing Kara back against the wall where she wouldn’t be seen. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Saving you, obviously.” Kara gave a tilted smile.

Lena’s stomach swooped again, but this feeling was different. It wasn’t anxiety and it didn’t make her uncomfortable. It made her warm.

Kara _did_ come back for her.

“You can’t be here,” Lena said quickly. “They’ll kill you. Or turn you into the Red Lanterns and then _they’ll_ kill you.”

“Not if we leave before they even realize I was here in the first place.”

Kara was so confident, so _sure_ that her plan would work that she never even considered any other possibilities. That, or she didn’t care about the consequences so long as Lena was safe. Lena didn’t dare hope for the latter, it would absolutely crush her if Kara didn’t care about Lena as much she wanted her to.

“I can’t go with you, Kara, I’m sorry.”

Lena was just as surprised as Kara at her words. This was exactly what she’d been hoping for over the past few weeks. This was what she’d just wished for on her shooting star. But now that Kara was actually here, ready to take Lena back to Earth, Lena realized it wasn’t that easy.

“It’s too late,” Lena told her. “I’m in too deep now.”

“You’re in—what are you talking about?” For the first time since their reunion, Kara looked down at Lena’s attire. She pushed Lena away from her until Lena was bathed in full, fluorescent from the hallway. Kara took in Lena’s yellow, clutching at her chest. “You _joined_ them?”

Lena shook her head. She hated having Kara stare at her like she was some disgusting bug that’d been splatted on her bathroom wall. She couldn’t let Kara think she was something she despised.

“I’m not really one of them,” Lena insisted. Fear began dripping into her chest at the thought of Kara leaving her again. If she did, Lena knew she would never come back. If Kara left, Lena would truly be alone.

“Then why are you wearing their colors?” Kara asked, her breathing getting heavier by the second.

“I only told Sinestro I’d join him to gain his trust.” Lena spoke quickly before Kara could escape in a rush before giving Lena a chance to explain herself. “He wants to use me as a spy to convince the other Lanterns on the spectrum to join his side and overthrow the Green Lanterns. What he doesn’t know is that I’m going to warn them instead.”

Kara stared at Lena with wide eyes, trying to decide whether she believed her or not. Lena couldn’t lose Kara’s trust, not yet. She had to do something to convince her.

“I’m still me,” Lena insisted. “I haven’t been—I haven’t been consumed by Fear yet.”

“How do I know that?” Kara said. “How can I know you’re not lying to me to convince me not to attack you?”

Lena didn’t have an answer for that. The truth was, if she was in Kara’s position, she wouldn’t trust herself either.

“You don’t,” Lena said feebly, her voice trembling. “I’m just… I’m scared of losing you.”

Kara glanced down at Lena’s yellow ring then back up to Lena’s face. Kara took a step closer and lifted her hand. Lena flinched at the motion, afraid that Kara really didn’t believe her and had chosen to attack her.

Kara froze and took a deep breath before smiling widely. “You’re telling the truth.”

Lena’s breath hitched. “How can you tell?”

Kara reached out toward Lena again, but this time Lena remained motionless. Kara swiped a finger across Lena’s cheek gently. When she pulled it away and showed Lena, it glistened with wetness.

Lena was crying.

“Yellow Lanterns don’t cry,” Kara said softly. “Whatever has happened in the past few weeks, whatever they’ve done to you, it didn’t work. You’re still you in there.”

Lena caught a glimpse of yellow rushing through the door on the opposite end of the hallway. There was no way for her to be sure, but if someone had been listening in on their conversation, then Lena had to get Kara out of here—and fast.

“Kara,” Lena spoke in a rushed whisper, “you have to go.”

“I’m not leaving without you,” Kara insisted. She grabbed Lena’s hands and squeezed them so tightly her knuckles turned white. If Lena hadn’t been wearing her ring, Kara might have broken them. Then again, if she hadn’t been wearing her ring, Lena knew Kara would have been more careful than that. She would have given Lena a gentler touch.

“You have to,” Lena argued. “If you stay, you’ll put yourself in more danger than you’re already in and then neither of us will be able to leave.”

“So you’re telling me to get out of here for purely selfish reasons?” Kara laughed. “I should have known.”

Lena wanted to laugh, share some last lighthearted moments with this spectacular woman, but she was too nervous. As much as Lena had relished the emotions sweeping back into her body just moments earlier, she now hated the sharp twisting of her stomach at the thought of Kara getting hurt. And all because of Lena.

“I have a plan,” Lena assured her. “Do you trust me?”

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”

One day, Lena would look back and be able to pinpoint this as the exact moment she fell in love with Kara Zor-El. Her family had never trusted her so blindly, had never made her feel like she could do anything without their permission. Even after only knowing her for only a few months, Kara knew just how capable Lena was on her own.

No matter what happened, Lena was just glad she had Kara by her side.

“Well, well, well, what have we here?”

On the other hand, if Kara wasn’t by her side at this very moment, she’d be safe.

Lena and Kara turned simultaneously to find Sinestro staring them down at the other end of the hallway. Lena instinctively grabs Kara’s hand and steps in front of her, even though she knows full well that Kara can protect herself.

“Oh… I see…” Sinestro puts his hands together and takes a few steps closer to them. He smiles widely, taking in the sight of Lena blocking Kara from him. “Here I was, being told that one of Lantern Luthor’s friends had come to save her, but you are not only friends, are you?”

Lena clenched her teeth. “She was just leaving. I told her I have no allegiance to her any longer.”

“If you did not,” Sinestro said, now just a few feet away from them, “then she would be dead.”

Lena narrowed her eyes, unsure of what response she could use. It was true, if she had truly given herself over to the Sinestro Corps, she would feel no fear or guilt at the thought of killing one of her old friends.

“Actually, Lantern Luthor,” Sinestro continued, his eyes raking over Kara’s body in a way that made both Lena and Kara squirm, “I am quite glad you chose not to kill Kara Zor-El.”

“You recognize her?” Lena asked, her heart racing fast as a horse.

“We have met before,” Sinestro reminded her. He peeked behind Lena and his smile grew. “It is _so_ nice to see you again. How long has it been?”

“I’m sure you’ve already alerted the Red Lanterns to my presence here,” Kara said, tilting her chin up.

“Oh no,” Sinestro laughed, sharp and grating. “It would take them far too long for them to come here. No, Kara Zor-El, I already have a Red Lantern here on the base.”

Lena hadn’t known that. If she had, she never would have allowed Kara to stay as long as she had. She whirled around to face Kara, ready to push her out the door if she had to just to get her out of there. To her surprise, Kara was completely calm in the face of certain death.

“Do you think I was born yesterday, Sinestro?” she said, crossing her arms over the “S” on her chest. “Did you really think I’d come unprepared?”

Sinestro’s eyebrows drew together and he opened his mouth to retort, but he was interrupted by a familiar Green Lantern grabbing him from behind and wrapping an arm around his neck. Jessica smiled cheerfully into Sinestro’s face.

“Miss me?” Jessica sang.

“You brought one Green Lantern?” Sinestro asked. “Do you think hundreds of Yellow Lanterns cannot handle _one_ Green Lantern and _one_ former Red Lantern? Kara does not even possess a ring, she has no power!”

Kara brushed past Lena, sized Sinestro up, and punched him square in the chest. She sent Sinestro flying back, out of Jessica’s grip, into the wall. The wall dented under the pressure and cracks splintered, creating spiderwebs of fissures.

In Sinestro’s shock, Kara grasped Lena’s hands and said, “We have to hurry!”

Everything had happened so fast that Lena couldn’t think about nothing except following Kara and Jessica through the winding halls of the Sinestro Corps base. Kara hadn’t come alone, she had somehow convinced Jessica—who Lena was sure hated her guts—to help save Lena. She was so amazed at Kara’s power that she almost convinced herself that she could go with her.

Near the end of the hallway, near a hidden exit Kara and Jessica had most likely used to sneak in, Lena slipped her hand out of Kara’s. As soon as the physical contact was lost, Kara froze and spun back around, her face contorted in confusion.

“What are—?” Kara started to ask, but Lena shook her head, silencing her.

“I told you,” Lena said, backing away, “I have a plan. I know you mean well, but this is for the best.”

“ _Lena_.” Kara’s voice cracked. “I’m not leaving without you. They’re going to hurt you.”

“They can’t hurt me anymore than I’ve already been hurt,” Lena said, a sad smile crossing her face.

The words only upset Kara more and she choked back a sob. “Lena, I know you can’t feel fear right now—”

“I do,” Lena said quickly before her voice dropped to a whisper. “I do. I’m so fucking afraid right now, Kara. Just not for myself.”

Kara stared at Lena, open-mouthed, a few tears escaping her eyes. Jessica tapped on Kara’s shoulder, letting her know that if they didn’t leave now, they might never leave.

“Go,” Lena insisted. “I’ll be fine.”

Kara nodded, allowing Jessica to pull her towards the exit. Before Jessica could open the door though, Kara broke away and ran back to Lena. She clutched Lena’s shoulders, pulled her close against her body, and kissed her desperately.

Lena wrapped her arms around Kara’s waist, her heart swelling with emotion, growing so big that she was afraid it might burst. The next moment, completely against her will, she felt salty tears fall between her mouth and Kara’s. Kara pressed herself closer, opening her mouth and letting Lena in fully.

“This is super romantic and all,” Jessica’s voice burst in, “but we’ve gotta go, like, _yesterday_.”

Kara pulled herself away from Lena reluctantly. Resting her forehead against Lena’s, Kara whispered softly, “Come home soon, okay?”

Lena nodded. “I promise.”

She watched Kara run after Jessica, gave Kara a small smile when she turned back. Once they had flown safely away from the base, Lena turned away, ready to deal with whatever Sinestro threw her way.

What she didn’t realize was that Sinestro was standing right behind her.

“How sweet,” Sinestro cooed. “But perhaps you should have stayed with her, because then you could have protected her from _this_.”

Lena’s heart leaped into her throat, blocking her voice from screaming out in the overwhelming pain that consumed her body as she watched Sinestro fly out the door and construct a bomb that he threw at Jessica and Kara. The bomb exploded into green mist that swirled around the two of them before disappearing completely. Jessica coughed, but seemed otherwise fine before flying off as fast as she could.

Kara on the other hand…

Lena sank to her knees as Kara went limp and her body began to freeze over, no longer immune to the harsh vacuum of space. Her body went cold and she shook vigorously, watching Sinestro bring Kara’s lifeless body back to the base. Her mind was blank, filling with every emotion she’d ever heard of at once. Her body went from hot to cold, from blistering to freezing.

“This was a necessary sacrifice.”

Sinestro’s voice sounded distant, an entire world away from where Lena sat. Her body vibrated, every little feeling about to rip through her skin and suffocate her. Her emotions crawled up her throat, into her mouth and finally, in one piercing, world-shattering scream, they left her body.

When Lena came back to herself the first thing she noticed was multiple Yellow Lanterns, lying on the ground, paralyzed. Even Sinestro was on the ground, visibly shaken and in pain.

The second thing Lena noticed was that she felt nothing. For the first time in her life, she was totally and utterly empty.

**

Pain struck Sam’s chest like a knife. It came out of nowhere, throwing her onto the ground and spreading throughout her body until it was nothing but sharp aches. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt such pain. In fact…

…Sam couldn’t remember the last time she felt anything at all.

Although the pain smothered, making her choke on her own air, she had never felt such bliss. Everything in her body was on fire, it was full and comforting. It reminded her of—

“ _Ruby_.”

What had happened to her? Was she okay, was she safe? Oh god, did Sinestro know about her? Sam couldn’t believe she’d been so entranced with the yellow ring’s power that she’d forgotten about the only person in this world that mattered.

Sam had to go back to Ruby. She knew it was unsafe with Sinestro watching her, but he was preoccupied with his plan to kidnap Kara Zor-El and turn Lena into a mindless drone that he wouldn’t pay any attention to Sam. She’d just fly back to Earth, check in on Ruby to make sure she was safe, and then fly back before anyone noticed she was gone.

There was only one hitch to the plan. Sam didn’t know when the yellow ring’s power would kick back in, turn her back into a robot. If it happened while she was around Ruby… there was no telling what she might do to her. But Sam couldn’t get back to Earth without a power ring.

It just didn’t have to be a _yellow_ ring.

Sam ran to Lena’s chamber, searching through her drawers desperately. She’d watched Lena for so long, tried to find that damn Green Lantern ring so she could destroy. Where she had been frustrated with Lena’s stealth, now she was glad for it. If she’d destroyed that ring, she’d have no hope.

Sam erupted into quiet cheers when she found the ring hidden in some kind of misshapen mechanical box. She eagerly pulled her yellow ring off and threw it far, far away from her. She closed her eyes, praying for the green ring to work, for the Green Lanterns to find her worthy.

When Sam opened her eyes and looked down at herself, a glowing, bright green suit had replaced her dull yellow one. She smiled and stood up. It was time to find her daughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keep commenting and liking! I know I haven't responded to comments in a while, but I love reading them and hopefully I'll have time this week to write some responses! Thank you as always!


	11. Rainbow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena tries to find her heart again.

_A yellow mist flowed throughout the glossy hospital room. Nia coughed as she struggled to make her way through the heavy gas. She didn’t know exactly why, but she was desperate to make it to the other side. Fear pulsed through her body at the thought of not reaching whatever it was waiting for her in time. Nia took a deep breath and forced herself to go those last few feet._

_The mist began to clear once Nia was safely on the other side. A warm blue light began to glow and surround her. A silhouette within the light encouraged her to come and immerse herself in the deep blue. Nia closed her eyes and took one step, two steps forward—_

_She was suddenly tugged backwards back into the yellow mist by an unknown force. She tried to scream, but when she opened her mouth the gas filled her throat, choking her. The mist tasted bitter on her tongue and she frantically spit to get it out. But every time she opened her mouth, more gas filled it. It consumed her lungs until she could feel them shriveling into tiny husks. The mist attacked her heart next, eating it and ripping it apart until there was nothing left but a hole in her chest._

_When Nia’s legs finally gave out and she fell to the ground, it cracked beneath her knees. She glanced down and found a mirror reflecting her face back at her. Except—as Nia bent closer to peer at her reflection, she realized it wasn’t her own._

_It was Lena’s._

\---

Lois and Jessica listened carefully as Nia recalled her vision, their faces growing more concerned by the second. By the time Nia finished and caught her breath, she was nervous they wouldn’t have an answer for her.

Fortunately they did. It just wasn’t the one Nia wanted to hear.

“Lena is a Yellow Lantern and part of the Sinestro Corps,” Jessica said solemnly. The corners of Lois’ mouth turned downward, but Jessica didn’t seem all that upset. She seemed angry, but she acted as if she’d been expecting this outcome for a long time. “I saw her myself when I went to rescue her with Kara. I’m sorry, Lois, but she’s gone.”

“We don’t know that for sure,” Nia argued. “My visions aren’t completely literal. There’s some level of analysis we need to do. Like, what was that weird blue light? Or what about the silhouette I saw?”

“If what we know about Lena is true,” Lois said, “then Nia’s right. We don’t know for sure.”

“The yellow mist choked Lena in her dream,” Jessica pointed out. “Kara, the silhouette in the blue light, tried to reach for her and take her out, but she wasn’t strong enough to fight it.”

Nia felt like they were all missing something significant, but she couldn’t figure it out. And if Lois and Jessica didn’t see anything she couldn’t, then perhaps they had understood it all. Lena was gone and Kara was hurt.

When Jessica had returned alone and empty-handed Nia could hardly believe it. The way the news made it look, Supergirl couldn’t be hurt by anything. At least, that was what she’d thought. According to Jessica and Lois, there was only one thing that could hurt Kara.

“Kryptonite,” Jessica had explained. “It’s a substance from her home planet and it makes her weak, takes away her powers. Green Lanterns have the ability to create it in its green form, but I didn’t think Yellow Lanterns had the same power.”

“They can make Kryptonians more powerful,” Lois had mused, looking out the window as if she could find Kara and Lena in the sky somewhere. “But Sinestro used to be a Green Lantern. He may still have some of the same powers as you.”

“Which makes him even harder for you to take down,” Nia had realized.

Now they were still stuck, trying to find a way to get Kara and Lena back. Or, in Jessica’s case, just Kara. So far, they’d come up with a few potential solutions, but there was no way of knowing for sure if they’d be successful. Nia and Lois were positive their last plan would work, and then it turned out Lena was a Yellow Lantern and Kara got hurt.

Jessica lit up all of a sudden after Lois’ third proposal. “I think I know someone who can help us figure out if these plans will be successful or not.”

“Do you know someone who can see the future?” Nia asked excitedly.

“We do, she just needs a little extra practice,” Lois told her with a small smile. Nia slumped back in her seat.

“No, he can’t _exactly_ see the future, he…” Jessica thought for a second. “Let’s just say he’s really good at math.”

“Who is this?” Lois asked. “Is he another Green Lantern?”

Jessica nodded. “His name is Querl Dox, though more often he goes by Brainiac-5. But I call him Brainy.”

**

The punching bag flew across the room from just a fraction of Lena’s power. The strength Lena felt now that she’d gone full yellow was like nothing she ever felt before. She never wanted this feeling to go away, there was no force in this universe that could make her feel this good.

With the power of Fear running through her veins it was as if all of Lena’s earthly problems had fallen away. Everything she every worried about, everyone she’d been so desperate to please, none of it mattered anymore. She was a Yellow Lantern and she was one of the most powerful beings in the universe. She shouldn’t fear anyone or anything.

They should all fear _her._

And they did. The past few days, ever since Lena lost herself fully to the Fear, whenever she walked around the base the other Yellow Lanterns kept their distance. They gave her wary looks as she passed before whispering to their companions. Lena didn’t care. She didn’t need friends when she had this much power.

“Again,” Sinestro commanded from the other side of the room after easily catching the punching bag in his hands. “I want to feel afraid of your power. I want to be scared you will actually hurt me. You are throwing around toys like a child. Do it again, Lantern Luthor. _Scare_ me.”

“How can I scare you when you know everything I’m going to do before I do it?” Lena shot back. While she yelled at Sinestro on the outside, pretending to be frustrated and annoyed with his training, inside she was gathering energy. “This is completely _useless_! There’s nothing I can do to surprise you.”

“Remain calm,” Sinestro said in that deep, monotone voice of his, “the more upset you get, the worse control you have on your powers. Take a deep breath and think clearly.”

Lena nodded and took a deep breath, going completely still. To Sinestro, she appeared to be calming herself down. In truth, Lena was manifesting an energy twin. She felt it exit her body with a _whoosh_ and she forced it forward, sending it racing straight at Sinestro. Through her twin’s eyes she noticed him flinch and freeze just seconds before the twin passed through him.

Lena pulled her twin back into herself and regained her movement. She smiled at Sinestro. “I’m sorry, did I scare you?”

“Very good, Luthor,” Sinestro said, sounding more than a little annoyed that Lena had actually gotten the better of him. “Though energy twins cannot alter their physical surroundings. If you want to win in a fight, you have to use something a little more substantial than that.”

“I could use it as a distraction,” Lena argued, bored by this conversation. If Sinestro really thought that she contained more power than anyone else in the universe, then he should be letting Lena go out and fight. Instead, he has her stuck inside the base, throwing around punching bags.

“While you… what? Stand there motionless and make yourself an easy target?” Sinestro sighed. “You need to start thinking like a fighter, Luthor. Now come on, do not simply scare me. _Hurt_ me.”

Lena hesitated. A memory struck her, of Lois’ Green Lantern training. Everything for Green Lantern battle seemed to be all about getting the upper-hand on the other fighter. To fight like a Green Lantern, Lena had to find their weaknesses, hurt them before they could hurt her.

Up until this point, Sinestro’s training had focused on cunning, using their own strength against them. The yellow ring was not nearly as powerful as the green ring. Sinestro always said that if Lena really tried to go hand to hand with them and use her power against theirs, she would always lose.

What Sinestro just said would surely get her killed.

Lena peered at him, wondering if he was even aware of his stumble. He didn’t seem to be as he stood in front of her, waiting for her next move. If Lena pointed out his blunder now, then he’d be more careful in the future. If there was something to find out, then Lena would need him to be careless while underestimating her powers of observation.

“If you really want me to be a better fighter,” Lena said, “then you’ll show me how to do whatever it was you did to Kara.”

“What I did to _Zor-El_ is way out of your league,” Sinestro said through gritted teeth. “Besides, it is not possible to do with the Qwardian Power Ring.”

He had made another mistake. He had some other power or secret he wasn’t telling Lena. It made her doubt the power of the Yellow Lanterns that she couldn’t trust her leader. She felt her power dim for a moment. In that brief moment, the memory of Kara falling limp in the middle of space flashed through her mind.

Just as quickly as it left, though, the power was back.

“Come on, Luthor,” Sinestro demanded. “Let us get back to your training.”

Even as Lena threw herself back into her training, her mind kept going back to Kara. Kara had come back for her. Despite everything that happened, Kara still believed in her and _wanted_ to save her. Kara had risked her life for Lena and she may have paid for it with her own.

Was Kara dead?

Her body went frozen and Sinestro easily knocked her down to the ground. She barely noticed as Sinestro pummeled her. The pain from his hits didn’t hurt nearly as much as the thought of Kara’s death.

Lena desperately tried to pull the yellow ring’s power back into her, but every time she did, Kara came tumbling back into her brain. The fear gripped her so much that she eventually went limp, the power almost completely drained out of her.

“What is wrong with you?” Sinestro shouted at her, pushing at her chest. Lena felt the air leave her lungs at the force. “Fight back!”

Lena tried to speak, but she started to cough, her chest twisting sharply with every little breath she took. She coughed roughly into her hand for a moment, Sinestro looking on with an irritated expression. When she pulled her hand back, it was covered in blood.

She hid it from Sinestro quickly and tried again. “Is Kara dead?”

Sinestro stared at her like he didn’t understand the question. Lena narrowed her eyes, daring him to answer. She wasn’t sure what she wanted him to say. If Kara was dead, it would absolutely destroy her. She would no doubt turn back into that empty shell she’d been for the past few days.

If Kara was alive, though, that was almost worse. It meant she was stuck on this base somewhere, being held captive and tortured until the Red Lanterns came back to punish her. If Kara was still alive, it gave Lena hope that she would never fully give in to the Fear. If Kara was alive, Lena was weak.

“I think our training is over for the day,” Sinestro said. “Go back to your chambers, Lantern Luthor.”

Usually, when Lex or her mother gave her a non-answer such as this, Lena could figure out what they were really saying. Here, though, she didn’t know what Sinestro meant. And she wouldn’t let him leave until she got her answer.

“Is she?” Lena gasped. Another cough shook her and she doubled over. When she straightened back up, Sinestro was almost out of the room. “Is she?” Lena yelled, her throat burning.

Sinestro stopped. Quietly, he said, “Yes.” He left the room.

Lena was alone. She was well and truly alone in this world. The one person she cared about and who cared about her was gone. There was nothing left for her to hope for. What use was it to try and deny herself any longer? She would be a Yellow Lantern, she would join the Sinestro Corps.

It was the only place that wanted her.

Lena collapsed onto the ground and laid there. She let the emotions flood back out of her and welcomed the cold, sharp feeling of nothing back into her body.

Just when she was about to sit back up, go back to being a good little Lantern for Sinestro, something stopped her. She felt a slight, barely-there twinge in her heart. Despite all her repressing, the frigid loneliness she felt, one emotion remained.

She couldn’t quite name what exactly that emotion was, only that it was telling her not to give up on Kara just yet. It reminded her that Sinestro wasn’t the most trustworthy person. It benefits him to have Lena give up on the one thing that keeps from fully joining the Sinestro Corps.

But if Kara was still alive, where would Sinestro hide her?

Lena jumped up, feeling more energetic than she’d felt in days. That little bit of emotion flowing through her, warming her from the inside out propelled her forward. She didn’t know where to start, but she knew it would end with Kara.

As usual, the other Yellow Lanterns stayed far away from Lena as she careened down the hallway. She guessed she appeared more intimidating than normal now that she actually had some kind of goal in her mind. She realized then that she’d been wandering around aimlessly for so long. She had no purpose in the Sinestro Corps, except to please Sinestro.

Something else lit up inside her at that moment. This one she recognized; it was anger. Anger at Sinestro for using her, hurting her to make her easily susceptible to his promises, make her believe this was where she belonged.

Lena grit her teeth and pushed herself forward, letting her heart lead her.

The longer her journey took, the more she pushed herself to find Kara. Nothing in this world could stop her from finding Kara. Blood pumped harder through her body, giving her power that reminded her of the Green Lanterns. So long as this feeling of willpower stayed inside her, so long as she was greener than yellow, she was sure she’d find Kara and get her back safe and sound in her arms.

Another feeling pumped through her. This one an overwhelming sense of taking Kara away from Sinestro and bringing her home. Lena desperately wanted to keep Kara safe, even if it meant never letting her leave her side.

But of course she had to let Kara leave her side sometimes. It wasn’t fair to Kara to keep her captive and not let her make her own choices. If Lena did that, then she was no better than Sinestro. Her heart lurched at the thought of Kara being stuck somewhere on this base, alone and afraid and hopeless.

By this point, Lena had practically covered every inch of the base. All those emotions that had inspired her were beginning to fade fast now. Maybe Sinestro was right. If Kara was still alive, Lena would have found her by now. The Red Lanterns would have arrived and taken her away by now.

Lena had to admit it to herself, Kara was dead. And she would never know how much Lena loved her.

Warmth flooded into Lena’s body then, every emotion coming back full-force. She nearly fell down from the shock of it. If she’d felt power with the yellow ring alone, it was nothing compared to what she felt now.

It was as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders, everything and everyone she’d ever felt something for in her hands. But now, unlike when she was simply a Green Lantern, she was sure she could handle it. She had the strength to hold the weight of the world on her shoulders and more.

Lena had the strength to save Kara.

There was one place she hadn’t yet checked: Sinestro’s chambers. It was dangerous to break in there, but Lena didn’t care about crossing Sinestro now. All she cared about was finding Kara and taking her far, far away from here. They’d deal with Sinestro and his plan after that, but for now, Kara was the priority.

Lena was careful to make sure there were no other Lanterns around her as she made her way to Sinestro’s chambers in a private part of the base. Of course, there was no one near her and she suspected that no one but Sinestro himself would have business his chambers.

When she reached the door of his chambers, she was still alone. Either Sinestro was somewhere else or he was in his chambers.

There was only one way to find out.

Lena eyed the face recognition scanner on Sinestro’s door. It would be easy enough to tear it off, but that could send out an alarm. No, Lena had to be smart about this. There had to be something she could do that would trick it.

She suddenly recalled her training with Sinestro just moments ago. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, forcing herself to separate. She drove her energy twin through the door and looked around for any sign of Sinestro or Kara. She couldn’t see either, but there was a door with a bright white light coming through the cracks.

Lena moved her energy twin over to the door and unlocked it for herself. Once it was open, she pulled her twin back into her and caught her breath. She was careful to close the door behind her again before going toward the door with light.

Somehow she knew what she would find when she opened it, but it felt so much better actually seeing Kara, alive and well, right in front of her eyes. She let out a breath she felt like she’d been holding for days and rushed toward her.

Kara’s cheeks were sunken in and she was so much smaller than Lena had ever seen her. There was some kind of tube hooked up to her neck pumping some kind of yellow gas into her. Lena searched for a way to shut it down, but there didn’t seem to be any kind of power source. She frowned and placed her hands on the tube.

“I’m so sorry,” Lena whispered before carefully tearing the tube out of her neck. Lena was ready to grab a nearby cloth and press it against the wound. What she wasn’t ready for was Kara gasping and sitting up straight.

“What happened?” Kara breathed heavily. Blood dripped from the hole in her neck. Frantically, Lena pressed her hand against it to stop the flow of blood. She couldn’t lose Kara, not now that she’d just gotten her back.

“It’s okay,” Lena said gently, “it’s okay, Kara. I’m here. You’re safe. I’m going to get you out of here, I promise.”

“My neck,” Kara said breathlessly, reaching for it. Lena took her hand away so they could both examine it, but to their astonishment, there was nothing there to prove there was ever a wound except for some drops of blood. Kara turned to Lena with wide eyes. “I thought it was—Lena!”

“You were bleeding,” Lena muttered. She kept staring at the wound, wondering if would miraculously open back up.

“I don’t care about that,” Kara said. “Lena, you’re—I can’t believe it.”

“I know, I’m here.” Lena smiled at her softly. “I won’t leave you again, Kara. I was—I was really fucked up when you came to save me. But I know better now.”

“Lena, you don’t understand—”

“I know, we still need to take care of Sinestro. But I had to know what happened to you. I have to let you get out of here. I don’t know if Sinestro will still trust me after this, but I’ll find a way to warn the other Lanterns about his plan.”

“I don’t care about Sinestro right now! Lena, there’s something wrong with you.”

“Don’t worry, Kara. Before all of that, I’m going to find a way to get you out of here. I’m so, _so_ sorry for trying to turn you away. You getting captured was all my fault.”

“No, Lena it wasn’t. And we have a lot to talk about, but there’s something more important you need to know.”

Lena’s breath caught in her throat. Was Kara going to tell her that she felt the same way? If she didn’t, Lena should tell her anyway. After all, it was what had lead her back to Kara. She’d just imagined it happening in a different, safer location than this.

“I have to tell you something important too,” Lena admitted.

Kara shook her head and let out an incredulous laugh. “I think my news may be a little more important.”

Lena let out her own breathless laugh. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

“Really?” Kara raised her eyebrows. “Go look in a mirror.”

Lena drew her eyebrows together, not quite understanding Kara’s words. If Kara was going to admit her love, why would she need Lena to look in a mirror?

Lena went and looked for a mirror back in Sinestro’s chambers anyway. When she found her reflection in a full-length mirror near the door she lost her breath.

Lena was glowing.

The colors shifted and moved like waves on her skin, so bright that she was able to see them through her yellow suit. She could make out every color of the rainbow. There was red skating down her arm, turning into orange swirling on her leg. Orange turned to yellow pulsing on her stomach and from there, it changed into green sliding along her neck. Blue whirled around her face before it went into indigo and finally a bright purple dancing to the rhythm of her heart on her chest.

“What’s happening to me?” Lena whispered, staring at her ever-changing skin.

Lena noticed Kara stumbling up behind her in the mirror. Lena whirled around just as Kara lost her footing and fell into Lena’s arms. Lena held her tightly, realizing with horror just how easy it was to hold up Kara’s weight.

Kara stared at Lena with wonder, lightly trailing her fingers over her glowing skin. She laughed and moved her fingers slowly up Lena’s neck. Kara rested her palm on Lena’s cheek and stroked it gently before breaking into laughter again.

“What?” Lena asked. There was no time to spare in rescuing Kara, but Lena couldn’t find it in herself to let Kara go just yet.

“It’s turning to purple everywhere I touch your fingers,” Kara said.

“I wonder what that means,” Lena said, though she had a feeling she already knew.

“Well these are all the colors of the spectrum,” Kara mused, tapping her fingers on Lena’s cheek. “So red is anger, orange is greed…”

“So what’s purple?” Lena asked.

Kara smiled and traced her fingers around Lena’s lips. “Purple is love.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter was more filler than anything, but there should be some major Kara/Lena moments coming soon! Thanks for reading and see you next week!


	12. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara and Lena escape Sinestro only to realize they can never truly escape him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry in advance, I just love writing angst. I have plans to wrap this story up soon, though I'm not sure exactly how many more chapters there will be. Thank you for sticking with this, I really appreciate all my readers!

The world stood still as Lena stared into Kara’s eyes, trying to understand what was happening to her. Kara didn’t seem scared. She seemed happy, possibly even relieved that everywhere she touched turned purple. Was it possible that she felt the same way about Lena?

Lena had no time to ask Kara about her own feelings before Kara was pushing her back into that secret room Kara had been trapped in. Kara shut the door behind them and pressed her back against it.

“Sinestro’s coming,” she explained. She searched the room for anything that could help block the door, but all that was there was the bed. Kara pushed it against the door but Lena could tell it wouldn’t be enough to stop Sinestro from barging in.

“How do you know that?” Lena asked, though, now that Kara’s pointed it out, she could sense danger coming their way.

“My hearing,” Kara said. She shook her head, irritated, as if she was trying to get water out of her ears. “It’s weird. Jessica and Lois told me that it was the yellow sun on Earth that gave me my powers, but I haven’t been under a yellow sun in days. I shouldn’t have my powers right now.”

There had to be some explanation, something totally obvious that they were both missing, but with Sinestro coming after them, they had to figure out a way to get out of there, _fast_. Unfortunately, they’d somehow managed to choose the worst place on the base to hide.

“There’s no exits,” Lena said as she glanced around wildly. The sense of foreboding grew and she knew that Sinestro was close, possibly even right outside the room now.

“Maybe there is,” Kara muttered under her breath. She narrowed her eyes and stared intensely at the wall. A second later she nodded and smiled at Lena. Lena felt herself start glowing brighter at Kara’s soft, hopeful smile. “One of my powers is x-ray vision.”

“You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?” Lena laughed.

Kara ducked her head. “I am. But we don’t have time to explore all of my surprises right now.” She nodded at the wall. “Help me destroy that wall right there. We can escape through space.”

As Kara sent her fist directly at the wall, denting it significantly, Lena hesitated. Her mind flashed back to when Kara had come to save her. She saw Jessica and Kara flying away, out of trouble, and then Kara getting hit with _something._ She relived the pain of seeing Kara falling limp and lifeless through space, only to be caught and captured by Sinestro.

Lena remembered that it had all been her fault.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, walking over to Lena and taking her hands in hers. Purple bloomed all over Lena’s fists. She blushed and she had a feeling that her cheeks were turning purple as well. “Is everything okay, Lena?”

“I can’t go out there,” Lena said. She shook her head. “You shouldn’t go out there either. Sinestro will just catch us again. It’s—it’s too risky.”

Kara shook her head and pressed her palm against Lena’s cheek. “We have a much better chance out there than sitting in here waiting for Sinestro to come after us. We’ll be okay out there.”

“No we won’t,” Lena insisted. Coldness crept up her spine. “Don’t you remember what happened last time? Sinestro hurt you, Kara. I thought—” A sob caught in her throat. “I thought you were _dead_ , Kara.”

“But I’m not,” Kara whispered, her fingers gently stroking along Lena’s cheek, down to her neck. “We’re going to be okay. I promise.”

Lena avoided looking into Kara’s eyes. If she did, she was afraid she might have believed her. “You weren’t last time, though. I’m sorry, but I—I can’t let anything happen to you again, Kara. You—you go. I’ll distract Sinestro. I’ll make sure he doesn’t go after you, that you get out of here safely. Just—just go alone, Kara. You’re safer without me.”

Kara smiled softly, bringing her face closer to Lena’s. “And where would I be without you? You were the first person I met on Earth. You had no idea who—or _what—_ I was. But you brought me to the hospital anyway. You protected me from the Red Lanterns, even though it meant endangering your own life. Lena… you’re the reason I left the Red Lanterns in the first place. Without you, I’d be lost.”

Lena’s lips found Kara’s instantly. She grasped onto Kara desperately, as if she was the only thing in this world that could keep her standing. Kara wrapped her arms around Lena’s neck gently, her fingers caressing every inch of Lena’s skin they could find, assuring Lena that no matter what, she wasn’t leaving.

“By the way,” Kara murmured against Lena’s lips, “I love you, too.”

“How utterly _sweet_.”

It almost pained Lena to detach herself from Kara, but she really didn’t have any other choice when Sinestro was standing right behind them.

Just as they’d suspected, the bed hardly held against the door. Sinestro had barged in so easily that he’d barely made any noise to warn them. Lena and Kara had been so invested in each other that they forgot the present danger.

And now it was too late for escape.

“I should have known you would find her,” Sinestro said, stalking around the room slowly. He examined the tube Kara had been hooked up to, a sly smile creeping onto his face. “It is hard to keep the two of you apart for long. And if you had just given me some _time_ , I would have let you be together.”

Something in Lena was screaming to ignore him, find some way to get away from him and not fall for his distraction. But another part of Lena insisted that she had to know exactly what Sinestro was talking about. That part was just a tiny bit stronger than the other.

“What the hell are you getting at?” Lena demanded. She felt a tug on her arm. Kara shook her head, silently warning her not to start a conversation with the enemy. Lena might have followed Kara’s advice and ignored Sinestro if he’d said anything except what he actually said next.

“I was using power from the Qwardian power ring to strengthen Kara Zor-El’s Kryptonian abilities under the yellow sun,” Sinestro explained. His smile grew as he noticed that he’d successfully gotten both Kara and Lena’s attention.

“Why in Rao’s name would you do that?” Kara asked. “I’ll just use them against you.”

“That is where you are wrong, my dear,” Sinestro said. “The Qwardian power ring was also turning you into a Yellow Lantern. A few days longer and you would have belonged to me.”

“She doesn’t belong to anyone,” Lena growled. “You never would have succeeded, Sinestro. She’s too good to become a Yellow Lantern.”

“And yet she was a Red Lantern at one time,” Sinestro pointed out. “Tell me, Lantern Luthor, how can she be too good for me but not for them? How does that work?”

Lena refused to fall for his trap. Kara had been angry about what happened to her planet and the Red Lanterns took advantage of that vulnerability. Sinestro had done the same to her. Lena didn’t know where to go, who to trust. Lena didn’t have a place in this world.

While Lena still didn’t know exactly where she belonged, she wasn’t going to let anyone take advantage of her like that ever again. She just had to figure out how to get the hell out of here first.

She felt Kara squeeze her hand. She glanced over at her and found her grinning.

“On my signal,” Kara whispered, “we break that wall.”

“But—” Lena tried to protest, but it fell silent when she saw Kara’s confident smile.

“Do you trust me?” Kara asked.

“More than anything,” Lena responded immediately.

“Glad we’re on the same page, then. Now, distract Sinestro until I’m ready.”

Lena had no idea what Kara’s ultimate plan was, but she was telling the truth. Lena trusted Kara more than anything in the world. Kara knew just how terrified Lena was of losing her again and Lena knew Kara wouldn’t escape this way if there wasn’t something else at play.

“Sinestro,” Lena said louder. Kara was watching the wall, waiting for something that Lena wouldn’t be able to guess in a million years. “You really want Kara to be a Yellow Lantern? Why?”

“Do you understand just how _powerful_ Kryptonians are?” Sinestro laughed. “With Zor-El in my Corps, I can defeat _anyone_ , even the Green Lanterns.”

“I thought you wanted me for that,” Lena said. Kara shook her head, _not yet_. “I thought you couldn’t defeat the other Corps without me.”

“Of course having you by side was necessary,” Sinestro said. “The sheer impact of a Rainbow Lantern declaring the Sinestro Corps as hers would have changed history!”

Now Lena knew for sure that Sinestro lied when he’d said the only other Rainbow Lantern that existed had chosen yellow. Not that she needed confirmation, but it was nice to have it anyway.

“But the power of a Kryptonian is unparalleled,” Sinestro continued. “That is why I had her escape the Red Lanterns in the first place.”

Lena’s entire body froze over, her bones turning to ice. She barely heard Kara whisper, “Almost, Lena, _almost_.” She was hyper focused on Sinestro. Like Lex, he had the uncanny ability of figuring out exactly how to hook Lena and make her pay attention.

“You didn’t help her escape,” Lena protested weakly. She peeked at Kara, who was still staring intensely at the wall, but her jaw was tenser now. Kara was indeed paying attention to everything they were saying and she wasn’t doing anything to disagree.

_What the actual fuck?_

“How do you think she found out about you in the first place?” Sinestro laughed. “How do you think she managed to get a hold of the Green Lantern power ring? Everything that happened to her, to _you_ , is all because of me.”

Kara squeezed Lena’s hand tightly just seconds before Kara sent bright rays from her eyes piercing into the wall, shattering it into tiny pieces. Almost as if Kara sensed Lena’s shock and inability to _think_ let alone move after what Sinestro had told her, Kara wrapped her arm around Lena’s waist and pushed themselves out of the room and into the empty vacuum of space.

Lena whipped her head around, instantly finding Sinestro standing at his new window, his eyes narrowed and his fists clenched. Lena felt that familiar sense of foreboding just seconds before Sinestro lifted his hands and sent out that green gas that had nearly killed Kara.

Without thinking, Lena lifted her arms as if they could block the gas from hitting Kara. Astoundingly, when Lena looked up, there was a bright green shield in front of the two of them, protecting them from the gas. Lena watched the gas swirl and coalesce against the shield as Sinestro grew increasingly angry.

“You _will_ regret this, _Luthor_!” he screamed. “By the time this is over, you will have _nothing_. You will have _no one_.”

Lena swallowed thickly, terrified that he was right. After all, he’d already taken so much away from her. And seconds ago, he may have just taken away the last good thing.

As Sinestro’s words sounded their last echoes inside Lena’s mind, she realized Kara was flying into a small room with gray, metal walls. She set Lena down on the ground and smiled at her.

“See,” Kara said breathlessly, “I told you I had a plan.”

Lena looked around, tracing her hands along the walls. This situation didn’t look much better than her last one. “Where are we?”

“A ship designed by myself, specifically for interplanetary travel, needed in such cases as saving Supergirl and a Rainbow Lantern. Welcome back, Lantern Luthor.”

Lena turned and found a familiar face standing in a doorway. It had been so long ago, now, since she was in that hospital waiting for Kara and a certain Green Lantern had come up to her and tried to steal her ring.

“Brainiac-5?” Lena recalled the name easily. It was a hard one to forget.

“I would ask you to give back your ring,” Brainiac-5 said, frowning at Lena’s hand, “but yellow isn’t really my color.”

Lena grimaced and twisted the yellow ring off her finger. Despite all the power it gave her, despite how full she’d felt with it on in the past few days, taking it off gave her immense relief. She suddenly felt impossibly lighter, like she could float away now that nothing was keeping her tethered to the ground.

“Lena,” Kara gasped. “You’re _flying_. But—how? You’re not wearing a ring.”

Apparently it wasn’t just a feeling. Lena glanced down and found herself hovering slightly above the floor. Her body had once again turned into that swirling rainbow. In her shock she dropped the yellow ring and it shattered when it hit the floor.

“I knew what they said about you,” Brainiac-5 said, his eyes wide in wonder. “But I don’t think I quite believed it until now. This is incredible.”

Lena laughed breathlessly, but there was a small problem. She couldn’t quite figure out how to bring herself back down. As if Kara understood exactly what Lena was thinking, she reached her hand out to Lena and gently pulled her down until Lena’s feet were once again on solid ground. Kara gave her a small, secret smile, but Lena didn’t return it. She pulled her hand out of Kara’s and turned her attention back to Brainiac-5.

“Interesting,” Brainiac-5 mused, walking around Lena and peering at her curiously. “This is a very interesting development. Lantern Luthor, do you mind if I study you? I would like to know more about how your powers work.”

Lena sensed Kara’s confusion and hurt behind her, but she refused to turn around. Kara had heard everything Sinestro said, she knew why Lena was upset. And yet, she still hadn’t said anything.

“Lantern Luthor?” Brainiac-5 pressed.

“Yes,” Lena said, “you can study me. I love to help in the advancement of science. By the way, you can just call me Lena.”

“In that case,” Brainiac-5 said, turning around swiftly and tapping his fingers on a keypad, “you can call me Brainy. All my other companions do.” The door opened with a _whoosh._

“Other companions?” Lena asked. “Who are you—?”

Lena didn’t have to wait long to receive her answer. As soon as the door opened it revealed Jessica and that reporter that worked with Lois at “The Daily Planet,” Nia Nal. Jessica stared at Lena carefully, still wearing that distrustful expression on her face. Lena didn’t blame her. After everything that had happened, Lena wouldn’t trust herself either.

“I can’t believe you came back!” Kara exclaimed, running over to Jessica and Nia and enveloping them in a giant hug. Lena had no idea Kara had grown so close to them. “After what happened last time I thought you’d given up on us for good.”

“We nearly did,” Jessica admitted. “But Nia had a dream and we were worried about what Sinestro was doing to you. We asked Brainy if our rescue plan would help and—”

“I surmised that there was an 84.2 percent probability that Lantern—that Lena and Kara would figure out how to get out themselves,” Brainy finished. “All we needed to help with was the actual escape part.”

“Speaking of which,” Lena said, “we should probably get this ship moving before Sinestro comes after us.”

“It already is,” Brainy told her. “It started moving as soon as you got on. Didn’t you notice?”

Even after Brainy pointed out that it was moving, Lena still didn’t notice it. This ship ran so smoothly that Lena wanted to break it apart and figure out how it worked. Maybe she could use this technology to invent some kind of high-speed train that ran smoothly.

But she couldn’t be thinking about that right now. There were much more important things to deal with at the moment.

“Where are we going?” Lena asked.

“I set our destination for Oa,” Brainy explained, “the Guardians’ base of operations.”

Lena nodded. “Good. We need to warn them about Sinestro’s plan. We should also warn the other Corps.”

Jessica raised an eyebrow and stared at Lena skeptically. “Are we sure we can trust her to come to Oa? For all we know she’s still working with Sinestro.”

“She’s not,” Kara insisted. “If was working with Sinestro would she have risked everything to rescue me?”

“We don’t know what her plan is,” Jessica said. “We don’t know if she’s trying to gain our trust so she can overthrow the Guardians from the inside.”

“I am so tired of this,” Lena groaned. “No matter what I do, you just don’t trust me! Is there anything that will change your mind?”

Jessica remained silent. Lena could feel Jessica’s emotions as if they were radiating off her skin. Jessica was conflicted and confused, but above all, she was terrified. Lena sensed Jessica had been through something that made it difficult for her to trust anyone so easily.

Lena felt overwhelmed, like there was a weight pressing down on her chest, making it almost impossible for her to breathe. Is this what Jessica felt like all the time?

“I’m sorry,” Lena blurted out. “I’m so sorry, Jessica, I had—I had no idea.”

Lena was filled with confusion then as Jessica narrowed her eyes in Lena’s direction. “What the hell are you talking about?”

The weight was still there and Lena gasped for breath. It didn’t matter what Jessica was feeling in the moment, nothing could replace that weight. Lena desperately searched inside herself for any emotion that would snap the tether between her and Jessica. But no matter how hard Lena tried to feel something else, she couldn’t let go of Jessica.

“I feel—” Lena took a deep breath. “I feel everything you’re feeling, Jessica. How do you—how do you get rid of that—” Lena waved her hand around her chest. “That _weight_? It’s awful.”

“You can sense my emotions?” Jessica asked, her confusion mixing with wonder.

“ _Fascinating_ ,” Brainy breathed.

“Is that possible?” Kara asked. Her eyes shined as she watched Lena. “Can any of the Lanterns feel others’ emotions?”

“Not as far as I know,” Jessica said slowly. “And even if they could, they’d need a ring to do it. Lanterns can’t use the power of the ring without wearing it. Unless, of course, they have other powers on their own.”

“It may be a side effect of inhabiting all the colors of the emotional spectrum,” Brainy mused. “Lantern Luthor, would you accompany me to my lab so I can understand your powers better?”

Lena nodded, but before she could follow Brainy through the ship, she was stopped by a hand on her arm. She didn’t even need to look behind her to know who it was. She could feel the burn of purple where Kara gripped her arm.

“Before you go, Lena,” Kara said, “I really need to talk to you. About what Sinestro told you.”

Lena sighed and spun around. “What is there to say? That you’ve been lying to me? That you’ve been working with Sinestro the whole time?”

Jessica’s eyes widened and Lena’s body burned with anger and betrayal.

Kara shook her head and tried to step closer to Lena, but Lena automatically took a step back.

“Would you give me a second to explain myself, Lena?” Kara asked. “Yes, Sinestro told me about you and what you were. Yes, Sinestro gave me your ring and told me to find you so he could recruit you. Yes, Sinestro promised me more power if I managed to flee the Red Lanterns.”

“And you succeeded,” Lena said. “So what else is there to talk about?”

“The fact that Sinestro made a mistake!” Kara was close to tears now. And just like that, Lena snapped the cord between her and Jessica and all of Kara’s emotions flooded into her body. The sorrow, the regret, the _love_ overwhelmed Lena so much that she felt her knees go weak.

“Kara—” Lena gasped. If she thought Jessica had a lot of emotional baggage, it was nothing compared to Kara. How did these women deal with all this emotion all the time?

“Sinestro thought I was weaker than I really was,” Kara continued. “He thought that when he helped me overcome Rage, I would need Fear to cope. But I didn’t. I was strong enough on my own and I realized he was wrong. I refused to work with him. I told him I’d take the ring he’d given me and find that Lantern, but I wouldn’t let her become a Yellow Lantern. And I failed. For that, Lena, I am _so_ sorry.”

“Why didn’t you—” Lena breathed heavily, trying to navigate through the mixture of emotions swirling around inside Kara. “Why didn’t you just tell me earlier?”

“You wouldn’t have trusted me,” Kara said quietly. Lena didn’t have to be an empath to know that Kara understood how weak that argument was.

Lena laughed, then choked. Her own emotions were now mixing with Kara’s, suffocating her. But she couldn’t let this conversation end here.

“I wouldn’t have trusted you,” Lena said incredulously. “My entire life is full of liars, Kara. I thought you were the only person I could trust because you were the only person who told me the truth. But I guess I was wrong about that.”

Kara shook her head and Lena was hit with another wave of love and regret, stronger than before. Black danced at the edges of her vision and she knew she’d collapse any second. Kara rushed toward her, and she could see Kara’s lips moving, but she couldn’t hear anything.

And then, just when Lena thought she’d pass out, Nia fell to the ground instead.

**

Just seconds ago Nia was standing in a spaceship, her vision going blurry and her hearing turning fuzzy, and now she was in the middle of a random street in Metropolis.

“How the fuck did I get _here_?” Nia asked herself.

Someone passed her and Nia reached out, but her hand passed right through their body. Nia frowned and stared at her hands. Was she in the middle of another dream? She didn’t feel like she really existed, like she was made of air. But somehow she knew everything around her was real.

“What is happening to me?” Nia asked, her words coming out slow and muggy.

Nia had an overwhelming urge to follow the person who’d passed her. The person, a woman with long dark hair and a determined expression, walked quickly and confidently up to the door of a house. Nia jogged after her, trying to figure out who this woman was, why she’d been drawn to her. Though Nia was absolutely positive she’d never seen this woman in her entire life, the woman felt oddly familiar.

The woman knocked on the door and her confidence began to waver. The woman shuffled her feet and bit her lip. She peeked through the window eagerly, but the window was too dirty to see anything.

An old lady opened the door and smiled at the woman. “Can I help you?”

“My name is Samantha Arias,” the woman said through a rushed breath. “Is my daughter, Ruby, there?”

Nia knew those names from somewhere, but _where_?

The old lady’s smile widened and she shouted Ruby’s name into the house. She turned back to Sam and said, “You know, she never gave up hope that you’d find her again one day.”

A teenage girl bounded up to the door, a shocked expression coming over her face upon seeing Sam.

“Ruby.” Sam breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, baby.”

Ruby grinned and ran at Sam, wrapping her arms around her waist in a tight hug. Sam choked on a sob and hugged Ruby back just as tightly.

“I knew you’d come back, Mom,” Ruby whispered.

\---

Nia blinked and suddenly Sam and Ruby were gone and she was back in the spaceship. Four faces stared down at her in concern, all of them saying her name and asking if she was okay. Nia took a deep breath before reaching for Brainy’s hand and letting him pull her up.

“I was here one second,” Nia explained, still trying to make sense of it herself, “and the next I was back in Metropolis. I saw a woman, Sam, and her daughter, Ruby. I knew them, but I didn’t _know_ them. I could see them, but they couldn’t see me. And then suddenly, I was back here.”

Lena, Kara, and Jessica exchanged glances and Nia could tell they all knew something she didn’t. Brainy squeezed Nia’s hands, bringing her attention to him.

“Congratulations Nia Nal,” Brainy said, “I believe you just astral projected.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, see you next week!


	13. Escape Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the crew makes their way to Oa, Lena hatches a plan to take down her family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so a couple of things. First off, this is a shorter chapter this week because I've been super busy travelling, but I wanted to get something posted for y'all. Second, when I said I'm wrapping this up soon that was kind of inaccurate. I meant that I have an ending planned but knowing myself it won't end for another ten or so chapters, so don't worry. Third, I keep meaning to mention this and then forgetting when I post it, but a lot of the elements I use are totally not in the comics, or they don't quite work the same way in the comics. I'm kind of taking a lot of liberties here, but who cares because I'm not an official DC writer. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

In the few days it took to reach Oa, Lena never mustered up the courage to speak to Kara about what Sinestro told her. In Lena’s defense, Kara hadn’t reached out to her either to explain. Given the size of the ship, it was easy for them to make excuses and dance around each other. There were always more important things to attend to.

Important things such as answering Jessica’s barrage of questions about Lena’s loyalty to the Green Lanterns while being held in a small room that reminded Lena of a holding cell. How Jessica badgering Lena with questions was meant to prove her loyalty was beyond Lena. But she wasn’t about to mention that to Jessica; she wanted to stay on her good side.

Fortunately for Lena, despite their rough first meeting, Brainy took a quick liking to her. He insisted to Jessica that Lena was fully on their side now, and that Sinestro’s brainwashing had little to no lasting effects on her. Jessica wasn’t so easily swayed, though. Lena didn’t blame her for it, especially now that she had a sense of trauma lying deep, deep within Jessica, one that Jessica refused to acknowledge.

“When we arrive at Oa,” Jessica decided, giving Lena on last careful study, “you’ll stay on the ship. I’ll have another Lantern take a look at you. I want a second opinion before I let you onto the Guardians’ base.”

“You already have a second opinion,” Brainy pointed out.

“Well then, I want a _third_ opinion,” Jessica corrected herself. “I trust you, Brainy, I really do, but I can’t take any risks.”

“I understand,” Lena said. “I’ve had my share of betrayals too.”

Jessica furrowed her brows in Lena’s direction before turning away swiftly. Ever since Lena got on this ship, she’s been nothing but polite and tooth-achingly sweet to Jessica. In return, Jessica has given Lena nothing but perplexed stares before changing the subject or leaving the room. Jessica’s resistance to Lena’s sudden kindness didn’t stop her, though. Lena just wished there was a way for her to send her own emotions Jessica’s way, make her see that when Lena said she understood, she really meant it.

“You and Lantern Cruz are quite similar,” Brainy mused. “It’s a surprise you don’t get along better.

“Maybe that’s why we don’t get along,” Lena muttered, more to herself than to Brainy. After all, she and Lex were both certified geniuses with matching IQ scores and they absolutely hated each other. Then again, that may have more to do with Lex’s personality than their similarities.

That’s when it hit her. The rift between Lena and Jessica didn’t have to do with Lena’s current actions—though they certainly lent a hand in Jessica’s general distrust of her—and everything to do with who Lena was: a Luthor. But how could Lena prove to Jessica that she wasn’t anything like her family when she could barely prove her loyalty to the Green Lanterns?

There was only one way Lena could think of, but it required being down on Earth and relinquishing all her support for the Lanterns. If only she could be in two places at once—

“Brainy!” Lena shouted suddenly, making him jump in fright. Lena had a feeling he wasn’t used to being scared like that. It was obvious from his unsteadiness and the shake in his voice.

“Lantern Luthor,” Brainy responded.

“Just Lena,” she insisted. Hearing her last name felt like nails on a chalkboard in her ears.

“Right, Lena.” Brainy said it slowly, testing out the foreign sound on his tongue. “What can I help you with, then?”

“Do you know where Sam is?” Lena asked. “I mean, now that Nia found her on Earth, are we still keeping tabs on her? Could we find her again?”

Brainy scrunched his eyes together and began pacing around the room. “I’m not sure how much of this information I am permitted to divulge to you given your former relationship to Lantern Arias in the Sinestro Corps.”

“But she’s not a Yellow Lantern anymore,” Lena pointed out. “Lois confirmed it. And I’m not a Yellow Lantern either, so I don’t see what the problem is exactly.”

“Just because she was able to escape Sinestro’s influence once doesn’t mean she can’t fall back under it. Her ability to use your Green Lantern ring shows promise, but remember, Sinestro also used to be a Green Lantern. I would tread carefully with Lantern Arias at the moment, Lantern—Lena.”

Lena frowned. Sam was the only person with access to the inside of Luthor Corp, but she wasn’t Lena’s only ally in Metropolis.

“What about Lois?” Lena asked. “Is there any way I can reach her?”

Brainy hesitated a moment before he nodded. “I’ll see what I can do, Lena.”

Now that Brainy was out of the room Lena could concentrate on creating her energy twin and sending it to Earth. She wasn’t sure if this would even work considering she was currently millions of miles away from Earth, but she had to at least try.

Lena let her mind fade away and imagined herself inside her familiar office back at Luthor Corp. It took her longer than usual, but after a few attempts, she had created a nearly complete energy twin. A headache began to form beneath her temples. The pain nearly made Lena lose control, but she grasped at the desk, using her surroundings to keep herself grounded.

With the pain growing steadily, she didn’t have much time before she wouldn’t be able to hang on.

Lena started to move her twin over to the computer until she remembered that Lex would’ve deleted her account. Even if her account wasn’t deleted, there was no way she still had access to the same plans she did before she leaked them.

_Think, Lena, think_.

An idea hit her just as her twin snapped back into her body. Her head was throbbing by now, but she had to get _something_ out of this. Then the pain would be worth it.

Lena let her mind go blank again, but this time it was harder to ignore the pounding behind her eyes. She convinced herself it wouldn’t take long and forced her twin into Lex’s office.

Lex usually kept his office locked when he wasn’t inside and no one but he had the key. He trusted his security in the building more than anything in the world and as a result, he often forgot to lock his computer—a fact Lena knew from Lex’s constant boasting about the security system.

What Lex didn’t think of was someone astral projecting into his office.

Lena praised whoever was out there when she got to Lex’s computer and found it logged in. For someone with a genius level IQ, Lex could be dumb as a post.

There was so much Lena needed to explore on Lex’s computer, so many secrets she had to know. But her head was banging a dream, and screaming at her to come back. So Lena found the first dirty plan she could get her hands on, took screenshots of a couple shady emails, and sent them all to Lois’ email. Whether Lena was allowed communication with Lois or not, Lois would have to be a part of this.

After wiping her history, Lena’s twin rushed back into her with such a powerful force that Lena stumbled backwards. She would’ve fallen had there not been a pair of arms wrapping around her, steadying her at the same moment.

Despite their recent estrangement, Lena found herself leaning back into those familiar arms. Everything was so strange and confusing lately, and Lena had no idea where her place was in all of it, but those arms gave her some relief, some sense of belonging.

Just when Lena was about to lose herself in the moment, sink back into those arms and pretend it was all okay, everything Sinestro said came rushing back to her. She spun around and pushed Kara away from her. Kara held up her hands, her eyes wide and stunned.

“I’m sorry,” Kara said quickly, stepping away and giving Lena space. It was exactly what Lena wanted right now, yet inside, she begged Kara to come closer.

“Was Sinestro telling the truth?” Lena asked in a rush. She might as well get it out now. They’d spent too much time avoiding it, and it should be dealt with before they got to Oa. And until Kara actually spoke, Lena hadn’t realized exactly what was holding her back from confronting her.

Lena was afraid.

They way Kara hung her head and whispered, “Yes,” told Lena that she was just as afraid.

“Why?” Lena’s voice cracked and barely made a sound. It didn’t matter, Kara knew what she said.

Kara shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut. All of a sudden, Lena was filled with a burning pain coursing around her heart.

“You don’t know, Lena,” Kara said in a strained voice, “you don’t know how much the Rage _hurt_. Every single day, every single _second_ , I was filled with this—this fire and smoke that burned and suffocated me. I couldn’t _breathe_. You can’t imagine the pain I was in.”

If it was anything like the pain Lena suffered now, she could imagine it. It wasn’t something you could get used to, even if it was constant.

“Sinestro offered me relief,” Kara continued. She was still turned away from Lena. “He told me he could take it all away if I did him one simple little favor. Yes, he told me I’d have to join his Corps, and yes, I knew he could make my powers stronger. But I wasn’t myself then. I was so… messed up from Rage that I didn’t know right from wrong.

“But Lena, as soon as I held that ring, as soon as it told me about you, I couldn’t follow through with Sinestro’s plan. And then after I met you—” Kara stopped for a second and smiled. “You gave me hope. You made me hope that even though I’d done horrible, _terrible_ things—things I don’t even want to admit that I did—I could be redeemed. That’s why I became Supergirl on Earth, that’s why I’ve been risking _everything_ to save you, Lena. Yes, I fell for Sinestro’s charms and nearly became a Yellow Lantern, but that was before all of this. Lena I—”

Kara stopped as her voice became choked and when she finally lifted her head, Lena could see tears making their way down Kara’s cheeks. Lena swallowed thickly, but she wouldn’t say anything until Kara had finished.

“You know I love you,” Kara said softly. “You know that’s not a lie. Because I don’t want to lie to you, not anymore. I’m so sorry I’ve kept so much from you, but I’m done with that. I can’t risk—I can’t risk losing you, Lena.”

For a moment, nothing but the sound of their heavy breaths filled the room. It would be hypocritical of Lena not to forgive her. Lena had also been part of some awful plans at Luthor Corp and there were certainly parts of her life that she hadn’t told Kara yet.

There was one thing Lena still needed to know, though. “After what happened back at the Yellow Lanterns’ base… Sinestro didn’t get to you, did he?”

Kara stared at her a moment too long. Lena could see behind Kara’s eyes that she was searching for an answer, that it wasn’t that she was trying to find a lie, but that she wasn’t sure.

The door to the room opened suddenly and Nia popped in, practically bouncing with excitement. “We just arrived on Oa!”

Lena let the conversation drop and left the room. She had gotten her answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and I'll see you next week!


	14. Returning the Favor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If Lena was confused before, it was nothing compared to now. Lena also learns to trust Kara again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant for this chapter to be more plot related, but then smut happened. But y'all deserve it after sticking with this mess for so long. So I hope you enjoy this chapter because we're back to more crazy shit after this!

Waiting for the Green Lanterns alone in the ship was agony for Lena. Obviously it wasn’t as agonizing as everything else she’d been through lately, but after all the action and excitement from the previous days, the boredom nearly killed her. She’d never realized just how much she needed something happening at every second of every day to keep from going crazy.

Jessica didn’t trust Lena enough to go onto Oa, but apparently she trusted her enough to stay on the ship without supervision. But Lena knew that Jessica wasn’t that stupid. Jessica might not have said anything explicitly, but she wouldn’t have left Lena here aloe if there wasn’t some kind of security system. Which Lena found out the hard way when she innocently opened a random door and received a powerful electric shock to her body.

Jessica hadn’t even cleared Lena for communication with Lois before she left, claiming it would be better if they could be certain Lena was on their side before they let her reach out to Lois. So to add to the boredom of being alone on a giant spaceship, Lena now got to stew and worry about whether Lois got her email or Lex found out about it and punished Lois accordingly.

After what felt like an eternity—but was probably only thirty minutes—the door to the main hall slid open, revealing Jessica and another Green Lantern with tan skin and short, dark brown hair.

“Is this her?” the other Green Lantern asked, studying Lena closely. She had a friendly face and she smiled as she looked Lena up and down. Despite her intimidating stance and power, she seemed kind. She reminded Lena of Lois.

“Lena Luthor,” Jessica said with a gesture towards Lena. “As I said, she used to be a Green Lantern.”

“She’s the one Lois trained, right?”

Lena’s eyes widened. “How do you know Lois?”

The other Green Lantern smiled. “I’m her sister, Lucy. How did you think Lois knew so much about the Green Lanterns without being one herself?”

Lena had figured the information came from Jessica, since they seemed to be such good friends. But there had been times when it was as if Lois knew more than Jessica about the Green Lantern Corps.

“Lucy here is an expert at reading emotions,” Jessica explained. “She’ll know if you’re really on our side after asking you a few questions.”

“There’s no need, Jess,” Lucy said. She circled Lena a few times, her face becoming more shocked by the second. “The rumor was true. She’s a Rainbow Lantern.”

“I know that,” Jessica said. “But is she with us or against us?”

“Neither,” Lucy said, stepping back. She hummed, narrowing her eyes. “She doesn’t belong to any Corps.”

“Sinestro said I have to choose,” Lena said. She shifted uncomfortably under Lucy’s gaze. Lucy may be nice, but Lena didn’t appreciate being treated like a test subject. “If it proves that I’m on your side, I’ll choose the Green Lantern Corps. I just want to warn the other Corps and get back home.”

“Sinestro lied,” Lucy said.

“There’s a surprise,” Jessica muttered.

“Lena,” Lucy continued, “you don’t have to choose. That would be limiting your power, and that’s exactly what Sinestro wants.”

“So should we trust her or not?” Jessica asked.

Lucy frowned. “I don’t know. That’s up to Lena.”

“Sinestro has done terrible things to me and to—” Lena swallowed thickly, stopping herself before she said Kara’s name. She still wasn’t sure if Kara was to be trusted, or if Kara was still with Sinestro. When she’d asked Kara earlier, she’d gotten a flurry of mixed emotions, none of which were clear. She wanted to believe Kara hadn’t been affected by the power Sinestro gave her, but she couldn’t be sure.

She suddenly understood how Jessica felt towards her.

“Let me prove it,” Lena insisted. “If I could just talk to Lois, I could prove that I’m not the same person I used to be. And I know Sinestro’s plan, I can warn the other Corps about it. Just give me a chance, Jessica.”

“I can’t—” Jessica’s voice was strained. She shook her head and looked away from Lena. “I can’t risk that.”

Lucy smiled sadly and placed a comforting hand on Jessica’s back. Jessica barely acknowledged Lucy, but Lena could feel some relief coming into Jessica at Lucy’s touch.

“I have an idea,” Lucy said slowly, as if the idea was still forming in her mind as she said it. “It might help Lena figure out who she is and prove her loyalty to you, Jess. But it might not work.”

“I’m willing to hear anything at this point,” Lena said. She’d never wanted someone’s approval so badly since she worked with Lex.

“Okay,” Lucy said, taking a deep breath. “You’re not the only Rainbow Lantern, Lena.”

“Sinestro told me,” Lena said, searching through her muddled memories of a mention of another Rainbow Lantern, “that there was another one a long time ago. He told me that she chose yellow, but I assume that was a lie.”

“That wasn’t the only thing he lied about,” Lucy said. “Lena, that Rainbow Lantern didn’t exist a long time ago. She’s still here.”

There was another Rainbow Lantern out there? This entire time, while Lena was struggling to figure out what was happening to her, there was someone else just like her. Why didn’t anyone tell her?

No one told her because, apparently, no one else knew the other Rainbow Lantern was still alive.

“She died years ago,” Jessica protested. “There’s no way she could have survived—”

“The Star Sapphires saved her,” Lucy said. “They didn’t want anyone to know because they knew Sinestro would attack their base to get to her and with their numbers down—they would have been destroyed.”

“How do you know about it then?” Lena asked. She knew she had no right to be suspicious about Lucy’s knowledge when she was suspicious herself, but something wasn’t sitting right with Lena about this information.

“That Red Lantern you brought along with you,” Lucy said, “Zor-El? She told the Guardians.”

“How did Kara know?” Jessica asked. That twisting nervousness came back into Lena from Jessica, but it felt different when it was directed at someone else.

“She met up with the Star Sapphires,” Lucy said, but now she was sounding unsure of herself. She was beginning to realize the implications of Kara’s information. “But no one has had contact with the Star Sapphires recently except the Sinestro Corps…”

Despite all the anger and distrust swirling around in the pit of Lena’s stomach coming from Lucy and Jessica, she pushed past it.

“There has to be another explanation,” Lena said. Of course Kara had been acting strange when Lena brought up Sinestro, but now that there was actually evidence that she was still working with Sinestro, Lena couldn’t find it in herself to believe it. “Kara’s done so much to distance herself from the Red Lanterns and Sinestro.”

Lucy and Jessica ignored Lena. Lucy glanced towards the door of the ship and a surge of fear ran through Lena.

“Zor-El’s in there right now, talking to the Guardians,” Lucy said. “If she’s really still working with Sinestro—”

Lucy was cut off by the sharp blaring of a siren echoing through the ship. A voice muffled by static spoke through the speakers, “Lantern Cruz, come back to base. Kara Zor-El is escaping.”

Lena couldn’t believe that Kara would betray them like this. Even after Kara’s hesitancy about Sinestro, she’d felt so guilty and upset that there was no way she’d follow through with a plan Sinestro concocted. There was something else going on, there must have been.

“Stay here, Lena,” Jessica shouted over the noise of the siren. She ran after Lucy, calling back to Lena, “If Kara comes back here, let me know. Whatever happens, don’t do anything she tells you to do. Got it?”

Lena didn’t get a chance to respond before Jessica and Lucy disappeared through the door. She wasn’t sure if she would have given Jessica the answer she wanted anyway.

The siren continued to blare as Lena sat in the ship, wondering what was happening on Oa. She so desperately wanted to be part of the action, possibly even prove to Jessica that she was on her side. But not if it came at the cost of hurting Kara.

Minutes after Jessica and Lucy left through the door it opened again. Lena stood up, expecting to see the Green Lanterns again, dreading whatever news they had about Kara. As it turned out, Lena would hear it from Kara herself.

“Lena, you have to help me,” Kara said, rushing over to Lena and grasping her arms.

Lena pulled herself away. “What the hell happened in there?”

“I know you have no reason to believe me,” Kara said breathlessly, “but I’m just asking you to listen to me for now. Please, Lena.”

“Okay.” Lena nodded. “I’m listening.”

“I went in there and the Guardians wanted to know what I knew about Sinestro’s plan,” Kara explained. “I told them everything I knew. I told them about you, I told them about what happened at Sinestro’s base, I told them about—”

“The other Rainbow Lantern. I know, Lucy told me. Why didn’t you?”

“I promised her I wouldn’t tell anyone. It was too dangerous, and I know I said I wouldn’t keep anymore secrets from you, but it wasn’t my secret to tell.”

“Yet you told the Guardians about her.” Lena laughed sharply. “I can’t believe I keep trusting you.”

“I didn’t mean to tell the Guardians.” Kara reached out for Lena’s hand before she remembered where they stood and pulled it back away. Lena felt cold suddenly, and she didn’t know if it was Kara’s emotion or her own. “I wouldn’t have, but they asked me about her. They asked me where she was hiding and they knew I knew. They’d know if I was lying.”

Lena’s heart froze. “Are you saying—?”

Kara nodded. “The Guardians already knew the other Rainbow Lantern was still alive, or at least a few of them did.”

“Lucy didn’t,” Lena said. She was sure Lucy hadn’t known, she could feel the earnestness emanating from Lucy.

“No, not all of them knew,” Kara agreed. “I don’t know how they found out about her, but I know it’s not good. And then—and then they asked me to bring her to them. They wanted to test her and make sure she was on their side. I think—I think they were planning to do the same thing to her as they were planning to do to you.”

Lena shook her head. “They just want to make sure I’m not with Sinestro anymore.”

“That’s what I thought at first,” Kara said. “But after they dismissed me I got a message from the other Rainbow Lantern. She said not to trust the Guardians and that I had to get off of Oa as soon as possible and come to the Star Sapphires’ base in Sector 1416. I know you have no reason to trust me, Lena, but I think you should listen to the other Rainbow Lantern. She can help you understand who you are. Please, come with me, Lena.”

This was it. This was the moment Lena could prove her loyalty to the Green Lanterns once and for all. She could turn Kara in, gain Jessica’s trust, and finally go home and finish her mission against her family. Doing this one little task would solve all of Lena’s problems.

Well, all except one.

If Lena turned Kara in she would never fully understand who she was. She would never know the full extent of her powers or who to trust. Furthermore, solving her problems would come at the expense of hurting Kara and despite all the lies and distrust, Lena couldn’t bear hurting Kara.

Lena was terrified she’d made the wrong decision, that it would eventually come back to bite her in the ass, but in that moment, it felt right.

“Okay,” Lena said. “How the hell do you pilot this thing?”

And if Lena felt any uncertainty about her decision, it all went away when she saw Kara’s smile and relief flooded her body.

\---

Lena could spot Zamaron, the Star Sapphires’ base, when it was just a little speck in the distance. The base twinkled purple in the distance, brighter than all the other stars surrounding it. The closer Lena drove the ship toward Zamaron, the warmer Lena felt inside. She could feel strong passion flowing through Kara as well, and Lena wanted nothing more than to pull Kara close.

Lena followed Kara’s directions and pulled up to the base, where a Star Sapphire flew around, prepared to greet them. Kara helped Lena finish docking, but just before Lena was about to leave the cockpit, Kara stopped her with a hand on her arm.

Lena’s arm lit up purple and here on Zamaron, the feeling of Kara’s touch felt as if it was burning her. But Lena loved the feeling.

“Before we go,” Kara said softly, “I just want to warn you about the Star Sapphires. They’re a sub-sect of the Violet Lanterns, so they use love as power and they spread love throughout the universe.”

Lena nodded. “I gathered that from my limited knowledge of the Lanterns.”

“But that’s not all,” Kara continued. “They combine their power of love with Rage. They use it to help women who have been hurt in relationships to find the strength to get revenge on their abusers.”

Lena blinked. She never would have guessed that was the mission of a Corps that embodied love as their emotional power, but more power to them.

“I just want you to be careful, Lena,” Kara said, her body inching closer to Lena’s. “I know you work differently with your powers, but if they’re able to affect you with this desire for revenge, then….” Kara trailed up, looking up at Lena with a terrified expression.

Lena understood what Kara was saying. Lena had been hurt by a lot of people throughout her life, two of which she was already planning revenge. There was no telling what Lena would do to her family if given the chance. With her powers, she could end up hurting more people in the wake.

“I won’t,” Lena promised. It wasn’t an easy thing to promise when she had no control over it, but her confidence made her feel better. It also made Kara feel better, which was worth everything.

Kara nodded and then realized just how close she was standing to Lena. She stepped back and gestured at the door. “Shall we?”

That small step backward filled Lena with undeniable coldness. She ignored it and walked around Kara, ignoring the way her body immediately lit on fire again when her hand accidentally brushed against Kara’s hip.

The Star Sapphire that had been circling the ship stood tall outside of the door. She smiled at the two of them, and Lena felt her cheeks heating up. It was impossible to ignore the flutter in her stomach at the attention the beautiful Star Sapphire gave her.

“Lena Luthor?” the Star Sapphire asked. “Kara Zor-El? Stargirl is expecting you.”

The Star Sapphire spun around gracefully and walked toward the base. Lena glanced at Kara and whispered, “Stargirl?”

The Star Sapphire turned her head and spoke quickly. “Courtney Whitmore, the Rainbow Lantern you’re meeting up with. She warned me that you’d need to be caught up on a lot of things, but I didn’t realize just how _much_ you didn’t know.”

“She’s from Earth,” Kara explained. “But she hasn’t been there in… a while.”

“A while?” Lena asked with a laugh. “How old is she?”

As Kara hesitated the Star Sapphire answered immediately, “She’s 237 years old.”

It felt like a dumbbell just hit Lena in the chest. “She’s human… and she’s— How is that even possible?”

“We’re not sure,” the Star Sapphire said. “In the short time Stargirl’s been with us we’ve studied her, but we haven’t come up with a clear explanation. Our leading theory is that it has to do with her being a Rainbow Lantern.”

“So does that—” Lena’s mind spun, making it hard for her to find the words to express her thoughts. “Does that mean I could—I could live… that long?”

It apparently hadn’t occurred to Kara that that was a possibility, and she stared at Lena with wide eyes. The fact that no one understood—and barely anyone thought about this possibility—worried Lena more than the idea of living that long.

The Star Sapphire didn’t seem as bothered by this news as Lena and Kara. She kept up her confident walk and opened the giant doors at the end of the hallway dramatically. “Why don’t you ask Stargirl yourself?”

At the opposite end of a large room—that reminded Lena of a throne room—with Star Sapphires lining the walls like knights, stood a woman with long, thick blonde hair and the same pulsating, swirling rainbow skin Lena had seen on herself. She felt herself light up and noticed her arms turning a dark blue.

“Holy shit,” Stargirl gasped, taking a few steps forward. “I’ve never met anyone else like me before.”

Lena was so busy staring at Stargirl that she didn’t notice the Star Sapphire gesturing for them to step forward until Kara grasped Lena’s hand and pulled on it gently. Still engrossed in seeing someone else who had the same abilities she did, Lena completely forgot about the affect Kara’s touch had on her. That was, until Stargirl pointed it out.

“I think one of the first things I should teach you,” Stargirl said once Kara and Lena reached her, “is how to control your emotions on your skin. That way you won’t end up announcing your love for someone to a room full of strangers.

Lena ripped her hand out of Kara’s and warmth returned to her cheeks. “I didn’t know you could control it.”

“There’s a lot of things we don’t know about our powers,” Stargirl agreed. “There haven’t been a lot of Lanterns like us in the past, and even then, they probably ended up choosing a Corps. We’re forced to figure things out on our own.”

“What’s so bad about choosing a Corps?” Lena asked. “Lucy—Lantern Lane explained that it would make my powers weaker, but that’s what the ring is for, isn’t it?”

Stargirl bit her lip. “Choosing a Corps won’t hurt us in any way, but whenever we declare ourselves to one color we become emotionless vessels. We won’t feel anything except that one emotion. I learned that the hard way when I nearly joined the Green Lanterns.”

Lena understood what she was talking about. She’d experienced just that when she’d been with Sinestro. She shuddered, remembering what a shell she’d become. But then she’d thought of Kara and that brought every emotion back.

Kara had saved her.

“Are you thinking about Zor-El?” Stargirl asked with a sly smirk.

Lena blushed and dipped her head low. “How could you tell?”

“You’re turning purple,” Stargirl pointed out with a laugh. “I think you’ve blinded a few of my Star Sapphires.”

Lena forced herself to look up, but she didn’t want to see Kara’s face. She didn’t want to know if Kara was feeling that same overwhelming love that Lena was, or if she felt nothing. It didn’t help that she could feel Kara’s emotions either, because she was so blinded by her own passion that she couldn’t tell what belonged to her and what belonged to Kara.

“I’m sorry,” Lena said. “I don’t know what’s happening, it’s never been this—this _strong_ before.”

Stargirl smiled. “That would be the influence of the Star Sapphires. It’s okay, it happens to everyone. You get used to it after a while. But for now, why don’t I show you to your chambers and we’ll let you… rest. After all, you’ve had quite an ordeal.”

Lena and Kara followed Stargirl through the base, and Lena fought the urge to grab Kara, push her up against a wall, and take her right then and there. She was in the presence of another Rainbow Lantern, someone _just like her_ , and she didn’t want Stargirl to think she was some wild animal who couldn’t control her urges.

In fact, Lena had never thought of herself as such, but as soon as Stargirl left and the door shut behind her, she slammed Kara against the door and kissed her. Kara kissed back just as hungrily, her teeth biting down on Lena’s bottom lip lightly. Lena didn’t mind. The pain was just what she needed at the moment.

Kara wrapped her arms around Lena’s waist and hoisted her up. Lena immediately wrapped her legs around Kara as if this was a routine by now. Kara spun around until Lena’s back was against the wall, and pushed her into it forcefully as she opened her mouth and practically swallowed Lena’s tongue whole.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Lena tried to say, but it came out more as a whimper as Kara continued ravishing her mouth.

“I’ve been thinking about you,” Kara panted, finally giving Lena time to breathe. “I’ve been thinking about that night we spent out in the field. You were taken away so quickly, I had no time to do what I really wanted to do to you.”

“Do it,” Lena whispered, ducking her head and nipping at Kara’s neck. “Anything you want. I’m yours.”

Kara nodded, dipping her head and taking Lena’s lips in hers once more. When Kara pulled away reluctantly, Lena rested her head back against the wall, trying to catch her breath. Before she knew what was happening, Kara’s hands were pushing her up further until Kara’s head was level with Lena’s crotch.

“Oh my god,” Lena whispered. She rested her legs on Kara’s shoulders and tangled her fingers in Kara’s hair. “Holy shit.”

“Is this okay?” Kara asked, her hands easily undoing Lena’s pants and pushing them down her legs and onto the floor.

“Is this—” Lena let out a breathless laugh. “Your face is right next to my pussy and you’re just _now_ asking if this is alright?”

“It’s good to know,” Kara said, her shrug bouncing Lena’s body up. “So are you—”

“Just do it, Kara,” Lena muttered. “Please just do— _oh fuck_.”

Lena cut off into a moan as Kara’s tongue pushed into Lena’s wet cunt. Lena was thankful there was a wall behind her, otherwise she would have fallen backwards onto the ground. Though she knew, that if she did fall, Kara would catch her every time.

Lena tightened her grip on Kara’s hair, pushing her head further between her legs. As she heard the satisfied hums coming from Kara’s lips, she also felt them vibrating against her walls, her clit. She could feel her cunt pulsating around Kara’s tongue, trying to pull it in further, make it go deeper, _deeper._

Lena’s legs squeezed around Kara’s head and she rolled her hips against Kara’s face. Kara accepted the pressure and the movements gratefully, rolling her tongue around inside Lena with fervor.

Kara lifted her head at one point, breathing heavily. Her eyes met Lena’s and then ever so slowly, she dipped her head back to Lena’s cunt, never breaking eye contact. She sucked eagerly at Lena’s clit, her eyes wide and smiling. For her own sanity, Lena wanted to look away, but found it impossible.

Lena’s hand tried to find purchase on the wall as her body vibrated with pleasure. She could feel the satisfaction radiating off of Kara as she kissed and licked Lena everywhere her mouth could reach. She felt Kara’s own desire building up and she couldn’t wait until it was her turn to make Kara feel like this.

All of a sudden a wave of pleasure erupted throughout Lena’s body. Her legs squeezed around Kara’s head so tightly that Lena was sure she was hurting her, but Kara just bobbed her head up and down that much more fervently.

“Please, oh _please_!” Lena screamed, one hand clenching against the wall and the other pulling at Kara’s hair, pushing her further against her cunt. Lena squeezed her eyes shut and threw her head back against the wall. “Kara, please—”

When Lena came she felt stars exploding inside of her. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so satisfied, if she’d _ever_ felt satisfied. Just looking at Kara’s soft smile as she swiped her fingers along her lips before sucking on them satisfied Lena.

Kara lowered Lena until Lena’s legs were wrapped around Kara’s waist again. Lena couldn’t help but kiss Kara as she walked them over to the bed and dropped Lena onto it gently. Kara leaned over her, straddling her as she kissed her over and over again. Lena desperately wanted to taste Kara, but she also never wanted to stop kissing her.

If they hadn’t been wrapped up in each other, maybe they would have noticed the alarm going off in their room. Maybe they wouldn’t have been fully naked and ready to start round two when Stargirl burst into the room.

“I hate to interrupt your post-coital cuddle, but the Guardians are attacking us.” And with that, Stargirl was gone again.

The Green Lanterns had the worst timing in the universe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	15. Making Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the Green Lanterns attack the Star Sapphires, Lena reaches out to Lois.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so as much as I love writing this story, I'm taking a two week break from it. I'll be busy all of next week visiting family and won't have wifi or any time to write this story. The other reason is because this summer so far has been super emotionally exhausting for me and I need some time to relax. I'm really sorry about this, but hopefully when I come back I'll be refreshed and renewed and able to give you the best chapter possible. Thank you all so much for sticking with this so far, I really appreciate your support for this story because I love writing it.

According to Stargirl, the Guardians’ attacks were a regular occurrence on Zamaron. The Guardians didn’t approve of the methods the Star Sapphires used to spread love throughout the universe. Lena gathered that much from what Kara told her back when they’d arrived, but the way Stargirl spoke about it, it seemed like the Green Lanterns had a more personal stake in their hatred.

Luckily for them, the Green Lanterns could never attack without cause, so it was easy for them to predict when they’d come to the Star Sapphires’ base.

“As soon as we put the call out to you, Lena,” Stargirl said, “we began preparing.” She paused as she put on her armor to pat another Star Sapphire on the back and smile at her. “Are we ready, Ferris?”

The other Star Sappire, Ferris, nodded back, tilting her head in the direction of the door leading out to space. “They’re ready for your orders?”

Kara blinked, looking between the two Star Sapphires with confusion in her eyes. “You’re their leader, Stargirl?”

Stargirl rolled her eyes and said, “No,” at the same moment Ferris replied with, “Yes.”

It was Ferris’ turn to roll her eyes, but when she looked at Stargirl it was with love and admiration. “She doesn’t like to think of herself as our leader, but the rest of us do.”

“I thought it was bad for Rainbow Lanterns to choose a Corps,” Lena asked. “I was warned against it.”

“It is,” Stargirl agreed. “If I was truly the leader of the Star Sapphires—which I’m _not_ ,” she added with a playful glare towards Ferris, “—it would be as an ally. They’d never force me to wear a ring. If any Corps tries to do that to you after finding out what you are, you can’t trust them.”

Lena thought of the green and yellow rings she’d worn. She knew the Sinestro Corps were bad news, that much was obvious, but the Green Lanterns? They may have hurt Lena in the past, and they may be stuck in their ways, but Lena always assumed they had good intentions. There were so many people she’d befriended who were part of—or at least close to—the Green Lanterns. There was Lois, Brainy, Nia, even Jessica, who might never learn to trust Lena. They couldn’t all be bad, could they?

“Did you hear me, Lena?” Stargirl demanded, reaching out to touch her.

Lena dipped out of the way and Stargirl snatched her hand back. “What did you say?”

“I asked if any Corps had tried to make you wear their ring?” Stargirl asked.

Lena thought back to the vague memories she had of her time with the Green Lanterns at sixteen. Although she struggled to grasp any concrete image, she could recall feeling elated at the thought of being chosen by this elite alien force. She’d desperately wanted to tell Lex, show off how much better she was than him now, and had lashed out to Lois when she told Lena she’d have to keep it secret.

Lena’s hand brushed her ring finger, reaching out for that phantom Green Lantern ring that she swore she could still feel.

“Just the Sinestro Corps,” Lena said, her voice coming out rough and hoarse. “But that’s no surprise.”

Stargirl smiled bitterly. “Sinestro’s always so… predictable.”

Ferris, reached for Stargirl’s arm and brushed it gently, as if it was some natural reflex of hers. “The Guardians are fast approaching. What are your orders, Court—Stargirl?”

With that, Stargirl’s smile vanished and she straightened up with a stony expression on her face. “Right. Ferris, tell our ships to attack their shields. I’ll tell the Sapphires that while the ships are distracting them, we’ll get close and surprise attack them inside their ships.”

“Let me help,” Kara insisted. “I was with the Red Lanterns for years, I know battle strategies.”

Stargirl bit her lip and glanced at Ferris for her input.

“Well,” Ferris said with a shrug of her shoulders, “Kara has been an ally for years. And it doesn’t hurt to have one more on our side.”

Just like that, the decision was made. “Kara, you’ll join the rest of the Sapphires and prepare for the surprise attack. With your natural Kryptonian abilities, that’s where you’ll be most useful.”

Kara nodded and started to follow Stargirl out the door, but Lena stopped them before they could open it.

“It seems you’ve forgotten a very important part of your forces, Stargirl,” she pointed out. “What would you have me do?”

Stargirl shook her head fervently. “I’m sorry, Lena, but I can’t allow you to come with us on this mission.”

Lena scoffed and rolled her eyes. “I’ve been told multiple times that I’m one of the most powerful beings in the entire universe, but suddenly when I’ve got the chance to prove myself, you’re keeping me back on the _base_?”

“You’re right,” Stargirl said. “You are powerful, more powerful than a hundred Green Lanterns combined. But you haven’t been trained, and you’re too important for me to send you out without knowing any battle strategy. I believe that you’ll save the world one day, Lena, but that day is not today.”

Lena stepped back and tried to blink back the tears filling her eyes. It was too late, though, Kara had noticed her tears and her face fell in sympathy for Lena. And since Stargirl had the same powers as Lena, she’d definitely noticed by now.

“How can I save the world,” Lena’s voice broke, “if no one will let me try?”

Stargirl turned away from Lena’s heavy stare, too overcome from her own emotion, or Lena’s emotions—Lena wasn’t _properly trained_ yet, so she couldn’t tell which it was—to look her in the eyes. But Kara—Kara stepped forward and gently clasped Lena’s hand in her own.

“We will let you try,” Kara promised. “This battle here, this battle is too easy for you. Given the right training and enough practice, you’d _decimate_ the Guardians in seconds. This attack isn’t worthy of your power. When we take care of them, I’ll help you prepare for a _real_ battle, one that needs your powers and will change the world irrevocably.”

Lena let Kara reach forward and swipe her thumb across her cheek, wiping away a tear that had managed to escape.

“Promise?” Lena whispered.

Kara smiled. “I promise. I will come back and make you the hero you were always meant to be.”

Lena nodded and leaned forward. If she’d learned anything from business school, it was that every deal had to be sealed so no one could go back on it. She sealed Kara’s promise with a soft kiss, one that held the promise of something more later, but would do for now.

Kara smiled when Lena broke the kiss and placed one last peck on Lena’s forehead. “Don’t worry,” she said, “I’ll be back before you know it.”

As Kara walked away, Lena refused to let go of her hand until she was too far to reach. When Kara was at the door, Lena’s hand slipped out of Kara’s and she felt her heart drop to the ground. She watched Kara carefully for those last few seconds before she disappeared completely out of view, her stomach twisting in knots.

But Lena couldn’t stand there waiting for Kara to come back and assure her that the promise would be kept. Lena had to distract herself somehow, but what was there to do in an empty building in the middle of space?

Well, one thing was for sure, Lena wouldn’t find something to do by standing in the same place for hours. She left the room and wandered through the corridors, peeking into each room and trying to figure out what exactly it was used for. Most rooms had futuristic and alien technologies that Lena was dying to get her hands on and study, but that should wait for a time when there was an expert to oversee her and make sure she didn’t fuck anything up.

There was one room, though, that Lena passed that reminded her of something she’d seen before—on another alien base. It was communications equipment, just like what she’d seen on Sinestro’s base and better yet, she had a vague understanding of how to use it.

As Lena stared into the room longingly, an idea began to form in her head. If Stargirl wouldn’t let her save the world, then Lena would have to figure out how to do it herself.

**

Sam tapped lazily at her keyboard, watching the letter “h” multiply slowly. She’d been demoted when she came back to work, but Sam didn’t mind so much. It made her sick to her stomach to continue working for Luthor Corp, but in order to win custody of Ruby again, she needed a steady job to prove her responsibility. She just hoped _someone_ would call her back about an interview so she could escape this hellhole.

After all, Sam was able to escape the Sinestro Corps, how hard could it be to leave the Luthors?

Her plan mostly consisted of contacting as many employers as possible and begging them for a job. What she didn’t plan on was Lois Lane barging into her cubicle right before Sam decided to go home for the night, and slamming a file onto her desk.

Sam’s desk shook from the sudden force and she frantically reached for her various picture frames and steadied them.

“Normally I wouldn’t be asking this of someone who used to be the enemy of my best friend,” Lois said, “but I really need your help.”

Sam gave Lois a curious look and reached for the file. She didn’t need to peruse very much of it before she realized just how dangerous the information in her hand was. She dropped it as if it was on fire and stared at Lois in disbelief.

“Where the hell did you get this?” she demanded, keeping her voice low in case there were other employees stuck working overtime.

“You’ll never guess,” Lois said, practically bouncing on her toes. “Lena _fucking_ Luthor.”

Sam stood up so fast that she accidentally knocked her chair backward. She grabbed Lois’ hand and pulled her close, hissing, “That’s not something you just blurt in the middle of her evil brother’s company.”

“There’s no one else here, Sam,” Lois pointed out.

“You don’t know. You never know who might be listening.” Sam glanced around wildly before grabbing her coat and purse and tugging Lois out the door after her. “Let’s go back to my apartment. We’ll be safe there.”

Lois nodded, but Sam could tell that Lois thought she was being just a bit too paranoid. Sam couldn’t help it, though. She’d spent _years_ being brainwashed by an evil war criminal, of course Sam was going to be careful when it came to sensitive information.

Sam’s apartment wasn’t far from the office, but it took longer than usual to walk to due to Sam’s extra alertness. If it wasn’t for that, then they might have already been safe inside by the time Lena called Lois.

The sharp piercing ring echoed in the silence of the empty street, shocking Lois so much that she nearly dropped her phone on the ground. She caught it at just the right second and in her haste, hit the “accept” button without checking the caller ID first.

“Are you crazy?” Sam asked. “You have no idea who that is! It could be someone trying to hack into your phone!”

“Hello,” Lois said into the phone, putting it on speaker, “are you trying to hack into my phone?”

The voice that came out tinny and fuzzy, and Sam struggled to understand what the other person was saying without leaning her ear close to the phone.

“It’s Lena. I just need to know, Lois, did you get my email?”

Sam stepped back and motioned to Lois to hang up the phone.

Lois rolled her eyes and said into the phone, “Can you give me one second?” Lois didn’t even wait for Lena’s response before she placed her on hold. To Sam, she asked, “What the hell is your problem? I know you’ve been through a lot, but I’m here to help you and to tell you that not every single person is out to get you.”

“I understand but this isn’t a ‘boy who cried wolf’ situation here,” Sam insisted. “There’s no possible way that’s Lena because Lena isn’t on Earth. She’s still being held by Sinestro.” A horrible thought suddenly occurred to her and she glanced down at the file that felt like it was burning a hole through her hand. “Which means that whoever sent you this wasn’t Lena.”

Lois nodded, finally taking Sam seriously for the first time that night. “Alright. Okay. We’ll just have to prove that the person we’re talking to is Lena.” She took the phone off hold and asked Lena—or whoever the hell it was, “Do you remember what was in the first email you ever sent me?”

“I don’t see why this matters,” Lena said. “I don’t really have a lot of time here.”

“Just answer the question,” Lois said, “otherwise I’m hanging up on you.”

“Fine,” Lena huffed. “I sent you Lex’s plans for giving police weapons with artificial intelligence. Are you happy?”

Lois glanced at Sam. “It’s her.”

“You’re absolutely sure?” Sam asked, still nervous. If it really was Lena and she was still on the Yellow Lanterns’ base, then it wasn’t safe to speak with her. Why would Lena even risk this unless she was working together with Sinestro. Sam’s stomach twisted uncomfortably at the thought of Sinestro turning her back into a Yellow Lantern.

The part that scared her the most was that she wasn’t sure if she’d find the strength to escape a second time.

“Is there someone else with you?” Lena asked.

“Yeah, it’s—”

Sam shook her head fervently and slapped her hand over Lois’ mouth. She whispered, “Don’t tell her who it is. It might not be safe.”

“It’s… that doctor, Alex” Lois said quickly. “The one who helped you and Kara out. I can tell her to go away if you want?”

There was silence for a moment. “No, it’s okay,” Lena said finally, “I trust her.”

“So Lena,” Lois said, “that email you sent me it’s—it’s _crazy._ How did you even get to it? Aren’t you still on Sinestro’s base?”

“No, I’m with the Star Sapphires now,” Lena said.

Sam’s breath caught in throat and she grabbed Lois’ arm roughly. “They’ve worked with Sinestro in the past.”

“Can we trust them?” Lois asked Lena.

“I’m not sure,” Lena said hesitantly. “But there’s someone else here, someone like me. And with so many people lying to me, she’s one of the only people I can be absolutely sure about. So if she says we can trust the Star Sapphires, then I believe her.”

Sam wasn’t convinced. She understood that Lena struggled with her identity, but putting all of her trust into someone she barely knew wasn’t always the best idea. But Lena was smart, and if she trusted this other Rainbow Lantern, then maybe it was okay. Sam just didn’t think Lena should be putting her trust into all the Star Sapphires as well, especially given their history with Sinestro.

“They’ve let me use their communication system,” Lena continued, though something told Sam that she wasn’t telling the whole truth about that. “And I hacked into Lex’s computer to send you that email using some of my… skills.”

Lois looked to Sam for some kind of explanation of these “skills,” but Sam came up empty. Lena could have created an energy twin to physically get into Lex’s computer, but there’s no way she would be able to reach that far if she was on the Star Sapphires’ space.

“This is absolutely real, though, right?” Lois asked. “These blueprints you sent me, Lex actually created these?”

“I’m positive,” Lena assured her. “I’m not surprised, it seems like something Lex would do, but if he actually goes through with these plans, it could be the end of freedom as we know it.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Sam caught a shadow moving. She tilted her head slightly, trying to make out if someone was really there spying on them, or if it was just her paranoia at play again. As far as she could tell, the street was empty save the two of them, but it was so dark that it was hard to be sure.

“So what do you want me to with these?” Lois asked. “Do you want me to publish them and expose him?”

“No,” Lena said, “that’s too dangerous. He’d just deny it. And he’d know that someone was snooping and tighten his security. We have to be careful with this, see if he’s really going through with this or if it’s another one of his crazy ideas.”

“We’ll need to gather more evidence if we want to convince the public it’s real,” Lois agreed. “That way it’ll make it harder for him to deny it.”

“Exactly.”

There it was again, that shadow. Sam was sure it wasn’t just her mind playing tricks on her this time and she stepped away from Lois to investigate further.

“I’ll start by interviewing Luthor Corp employees, anonymously of course,” Lois said. “I’ll see if I can get anyone to trust me enough to spill Lex’s plans.”

“Good, good,” Lena said, breathing out heavily. “I’ll contact you later, see how it’s—oh my god. _No_!”

Lena’s voice cut off into static and Lois stood there silently for minutes, in shock. Sam wanted to go to her, comfort her and assure her that Lena could handle herself, but she noticed a blocky shape hiding beneath a balcony. She stepped forward, trying to figure out what the hell it was. It almost looked like a drone, the design similar to the blueprints of the surveillance nano-drones in those plans Lena had sent them.

Sam stumbled backward and reached blindly for Lois. “We have to go!” she said in a rushed breath. “I think—I think Lex heard everything.”

Lois came out of her shock and glared at Sam. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about the fact that my little sister betrayed me,” a voice in the darkness called out. Lex Luthor stepped into the light of a streetlight, a sinister smile crawling up his face. “Now, who’s going to tell about this Sinestro?”

**

The microphone dangled from the console as Lena rushed toward the window and watched helplessly as Sinestro reached out for Kara and sent that painfully familiar green mist into her body. Lena pressed her hands against the glass so hard that she was sure she’d break it, her body frozen in fear.

Lena couldn’t move, couldn’t speak as Kara’s body went limp and Sinestro caught it. Then a horrible thought struck her: Sinestro would take Kara back to his base and turn her into a Yellow Lantern.

Lena suddenly found the strength to move again and she rushed out of the communications room and to the exit. She tapped violently against the control panel for the door, but she couldn’t make it work. There was no time to waste on a stupid control panel, she’d just force the doors open herself.

It was a struggle to force the doors to open against their will, but Lena managed to create a big enough space to fit her body through it. She had just slipped outside before someone was grabbing her and pushing her back inside.

“What the hell are you doing?” Lena screamed at Stargirl. “Sinestro’s taking her! We need to save her, let me save her!”

“That’s gonna be hard to fix,” Ferris muttered, staring at the door from outside.

Stargirl waved her away, saying, “Get the door patched up and attend to the Sapphires. I’ll take care of Lena.”

Stargirl started to drag Lena away from the door, but Lena dug her heels in, refusing to move. She reached for the doors that Ferris was now attempting to force back together. She couldn’t let Kara be taken by Sinestro, not again. She was stronger now, she could do it.

“Let me go!” Lena yelled at Stargirl, trying to pull free of her grip. But Stargirl was stronger, more practiced, and she didn’t waver. “Kara’s out there! She needs help!”

“Listen to me, Lena,” Stargirl said, placing her hands on Lena’s shoulders and forcing her to look into Stargirl’s eyes. “It’s too late, Sinestro’s gone. And if you go back to Sinestro’s base by yourself and without a plan, then you’re only going to get yourself killed.”

“Why didn’t you stop him?” Lena demanded. “Why did you just let Kara get taken like that?”

“We didn’t know! We never saw him coming! We were all so distracted by the Guardians that we didn’t notice Sinestro’s arrival right away. And then when we did we were all frozen—”

“In fear,” Lena finished. So it wasn’t just her that had remained helpless.

“I’m so sorry, Lena,” Stargirl said. “But hope isn’t lost yet. We’ll get her back, I promise.”

That word struck Lena’s heart like a knife, twisting and twisting until Lena felt weak. She dropped to her knees, watching her tears splash onto the ground.

“She promised,” Lena sobbed. “She promised she’d come back.”

Stargirl knelt down beside her and squeezed Lena’s hand. “She will.”

Despite all the hopelessness Lena felt in that moment, she couldn’t help but believe Stargirl’s words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to leave you on a cliffhanger like that! See you soon!


	16. The Pain of Remembrance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena helps get the gang back together, only for them to be ripped apart again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the two week break, but I'm back now! I'm feeling refreshed and I'm about to deliver you some CRAZY SHIT. As a side note for this chapter, I know that Nia's powers don't work that way, but they do for the sake of this story. Whatever, it's called fanfiction for a reason. While I'm at it, I don't know if I've said this before, but the Lanterns' powers don't quite work the way they do in this story, but Green Lanterns can create green kryptonite and they can do some form of astral projection. Okay, I feel better now. Enjoy!

There was nothing in this universe that would help Lena understand. She couldn’t understand Kara’s betrayal. She couldn’t understand the Star Sapphires’ unwillingness to attack the Sinestro Corps and get her back. And she sure as hell couldn’t understand why Lois hadn’t contacted her further about Luthor Corp.

At this point, Lena had no choice but to give up. She didn’t want to give up, but it seemed as if she didn’t have any other options.

As Lena leaned against a window at the Star Sapphires’ base, gazing out at the stars, she noticed Stargirl come up beside her. She used to love looking out into space, wondering about other life out there, the knowledge and technology they could impart on Lena. Now she wanted nothing more than to forget everything she’d ever learned about alien life forms.

“I always used to hate when people said this to me,” Stargirl said, still staring out the window, “but I’m sorry.”

“If you were really sorry you’d help me attack the Sinestro Corps,” Lena shot back.

Stargirl traced a finger along the window. “I should probably tell you the truth about that.”

Lena spun around and pressed her back against the window, crossing her arms and glaring in Stargirl’s direction. Stargirl avoided meeting Lena’s eyes. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Stargirl let out a sigh and the glass fogged up. “We would have made plans right away to attack them, trust me. The Star Sapphires are strong, especially with not one but _two_ Rainbow Lanterns in their ranks. We could’ve taken them down in two seconds if only… if only we knew where they were.”

Lena stared at her in disbelief. “You’re lying.”

“I wish I was,” Stargirl said. “I would love nothing more than to kick Sinestro’s ass and destroy his Corps, but he’s all but disappeared off the map. We’ve checked his base, the Red Lanterns’ base, and all of his usual haunts, but there’s been no luck.”

Lena glanced down at the ground. She took deep breaths, trying to keep the red from creeping in. Despite the Star Sapphires’ failure to find Sinestro, the past couple of weeks haven’t been completely fruitless. Stargirl had taught Lena how to control her emotions and hone her powers. Even so, it was hard to keep the rage at bay as she thought about Kara out there with Sinestro, being forced to do terrible and horrendous acts.

“There’s _nothing_ we can do to figure out where they are?” Lena asked through gritted teeth. She wouldn’t lash out at Stargirl, not when she’s done so much to help Lena already.

“Well there’s always _something_ we can do,” Stargirl said. She started drawing patterns in the fog her breath had made. “But whatever that something is, we haven’t figured out what it is yet.”

Lena searched her mind for some way to contact Kara without knowing where she was or letting Sinestro find out. As powerful as Lena was, none of her powers allowed her to do that.

But she knew someone who did have those exact powers.

Lena pushed herself off the window and bolted down the hallway toward the communications room. She’d spent hours in this room by now, desperately reaching out to Lois only to be met with radio silence. Hopefully she would be more successful contacting someone else.

Stargirl stumbled into the room behind her, glancing around the room as Lena flicked on all the equipment.

“What are you doing?” Stargirl asked.

“I know someone,” Lena responded distractedly, “who can find out where Kara is. Luckily, I know exactly where she is. Unluckily, you’re really not going to like it.”

“Why? She’s not on Oa with the Green Lanterns is she?” Stargirl snorted.

Lena paused in her movements to raise her eyebrows in Stargirl’s direction.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

Lena had to agree with Stargirl, that this wasn’t the best situation considering their recent battle with the Green Lanterns, but Nia might be their only hope. Maybe the Green Lanterns wouldn’t hold Lena’s betrayal against her.

**

The Green Lanterns had very rigid and strict set of rules that Nia wasn’t a fan of following. Throughout the past few weeks, she’d found herself wandering around Oa, finding herself in random rooms full of alien technology before getting shooed out the door and escorted back to her assigned chamber.

But maybe Nia wouldn’t have been so restless if the Guardians would just tell her what the hell was going on. There seemed to be all kinds of secret meetings happening at all hours of the day. Nia has begged Jessica to tell her what they talk about in those meetings, but Jessica was always surrounded by a dozen other Green Lanterns these days.

The only other person—or alien, Nia supposed—that remembered Nia existed was Brainy. While he couldn’t go against the Guardians and tell Nia exactly what they discussed, he did let her know it was about Lena. Whether what they said about Lena was good or bad, Nia couldn’t figure out.

The day Nia found herself in the communications room on Oa, was the day she finally heard from Lena again. Nia hadn’t realized it was the communications room when she wandered in, just that there was something, like a string, tugging her towards this particular room. She ran her fingers over all the complicated equipment, wondering what it was used for, when she heard a shriek of static and then a crackling voice.

“This is Lantern Ferris of the Star Sapphires,” the person on the other end said, “reaching out to the Guardians of Oa. Come in, this is Lantern Ferris of the Star Sapphires. Can anyone hear me?”

Nia rushed over to the console and tried to figure out how to answer Ferris. Normally she’d press all the buttons until something worked, but she didn’t want to get in even more trouble with the Green Lanterns.

“It’s the red button on your right, below the speaker.”

Nia whirled around and found Brainy standing in the doorway. She stared at him in surprise for a moment before he gestured at the console.

“Oh! Right!” Nia pressed the button and spoke into the speaker, “You’ve reached Oa. How may I help you?”

Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Brainy’s lips quirk up. Before that moment, Nia didn’t think she’d ever seen him smile.

There was a moment of hesitation on the other side. “Who is this?”

Nia paused, unsure whether she should give them her real name. Brainy stepped up beside her and glanced at her, silently asking for permission. Nia leaned out of the way for him.

“This is Lantern Brainiac-5 of the Green Lanterns,” Brainy responded.

“Who was that that answered?” Ferris asked.

“I’d rather not say,” Nia said. “But I’m a—friend.”

“What kind of friend?” Ferris asked slowly.

“State your business before we give you any other information,” Brainy said.

“This is ridiculous,” a new voice burst in, one that Nia recognized, “we want to speak to Nia Nal.”

Nia pressed her hands against the console to keep them from shaking. “Lena? Is that you? It’s me, Nia. What happened to you?”

Lena sighed. “It’s kind of a long story. And I promise I’ll tell you, but I really need a favor from you first.”

“Of course,” Nia said immediately.

Brainy reached forward and pressed what Nia assumed was the mute button. “Are you absolutely sure about this, Nia Nal?” he asked. “How do you know we can trust her?”

“I don’t know,” Nia admitted. “I just—I feel it in my gut. Don’t you get that feeling sometimes?”

Brainy shook his head, staring down at his own stomach. “I don’t think I do. What does it feel like?”

Nia smiled. “You’ll know it when you feel it.”

Brainy stared at her for a few more moments, and Nia couldn’t tell if he believed her or not. Before Nia had a chance to study his features more intently, he turned away and unmuted the speaker.

“What was that favor you wanted to ask of Nia Nal?” Brainy asked.

What followed was possibly the most unbelievable story Nia had ever heard in her entire life. Despite the fact that she was currently on another planet, sitting next to an alien, Nia still couldn’t comprehend how Kara—the most powerful being Nia had ever seen—could get kidnapped and turned into a Yellow Lantern. Things like that just didn’t happen to heroes like Kara.

But perhaps the most unbelievable part of the story was the fact that Nia was the only person who could help Kara.

It was an extraordinary circumstance and extraordinary things just didn’t happen to Nia. In fact, just a few months ago, the most amazing thing that had happened to Nia was becoming a fashion columnist for “The Daily Planet.” Now she was some kind of superhero who was the only hope for saving another superhero?

“You’re shitting me,” Nia breathed once Lena had finished her explanation. She hadn’t meant to say that out loud, but she was okay with it after seeing Brainy smile again.

“We shit you not,” Lena responded. “There’s no way Stargirl or I, or any of the rest of the Star Sapphires can contact Kara without knowing her location. And in order to find out her location, we need to contact her first. But with your powers…”

“I can astral project to where Kara is,” Nia finished. She took a deep breath. She’d never done such an advanced version of astral projection before and she wasn’t sure she could actually handle it. But the fate of _Supergirl_ was up to Nia—and Nia only. “Okay. I can do it.”

“Are you sure?” Lena asked.

Brainy watched her closely, the same question in his eyes. But Nia had had people doubt her before, and when there was no one else to believe in her, she had no choice but to do it herself. And look where that got her.

Nia nodded at Brainy. “I’m sure.”

She could practically hear the glee in Lena’s voice as she explained that while under the influence of Sinestro and the Yellow Corps, Kara wouldn’t be herself and she’d be resistant to anything Nia had to say. Nia just had to remind Kara of who she really was. The only problem was that Nia barely knew Kara aside from what she’d read in the newspaper.

“It’s okay,” Lena said, “I’ll help you out. Can I still talk to you while you’re astral projecting?”

“I can,” Brainy said. “Lena, tell me everything she needs to know and I’ll relay it to her while she’s in a dream state.”

“Okay good,” Lena sighed. “This is great. Nia, are you ready?”

Inside, Nia was shaking her head vigorously. “I’m ready.”

Nia relaxed in the way Jessica had taught her, letting her mind slip away from the real world and enter that state of limbo she was so familiar with now. She wandered around that misty realm, searching for Kara’s presence, pushing past memories and visions that got in her way. Usually she astral projected to a place, though she’d visited people a couple of times in her training. Of course, those people were usually right next to her when she did it, not a thousand galaxies away—possibly.

Nia shut her eyes, trying to bring Kara’s image to the forefront of her mind. It was no use walking around limbo for who knew how long. If she couldn’t get to Kara, she’d make Kara come to her.

The woman with the bright blonde hair shining gold in the sun came to Nia’s mind. Supergirl’s red cape flew behind her and she stood tall with her hands on her hips. Nia remembered then what Lena had said and quickly changed Supergirl’s colors to yellow. Before she knew it, Nia was standing right in front of Kara.

Kara’s eyes widened as she took in Nia’s presence. Kara glanced around herself before walking away from Nia, disappearing out of sight. Nia reached out, trying to bring Kara back to her, but Kara had only gone somewhere else in the room. Apparently one of the problems with astral projecting to a person instead of a place was that the whole room didn’t materialize.

“You shouldn’t be here, Nia,” Kara whispered.

Lena warned Nia that Kara would be colder and harsher, but this Kara seemed just as concerned about Nia’s safety as the old Kara. Maybe Lena was wrong. Or maybe there was something missing from the scene.

“I’m not _really_ here,” Nia told her, hoping to quell her fear.

Kara relaxed, understanding. “You’re astral projecting.”

Nia nodded and walked around, trying to get a better sense of the place she was in. No luck, though. She just ended up floating in the middle of nowhere. Nia glanced behind her and found Kara making her way towards her, and the room began forming wherever Kara placed her feet.

So that was how it worked.

“Why are you here?” Kara asked. There was an edge in her voice, one that didn’t used to be there.

“Lena’s looking for you,” Nia explained. “After you got kidnapped by Sinestro—”

“I wasn’t kidnapped by him.”

Nia shut her mouth with an audible _clack._ Kara scrunched in on herself, avoiding Nia’s gaze. There was _definitely_ something else going on here, something that Lena didn’t know about.

“Why would you go with him?” Nia asked.

Kara shook her head and turned away from Nia. Suddenly, Nia was left floating in the empty space. She hurried back to Kara’s side, where she could see the ground again.

“Lena’s _terrified_ ,” Nia said. “She just wants to know if you’re safe.”

“I can take care of myself,” Kara insisted. “I just—Lena has to stay out of this. I’ll handle this alone, okay?”

“You don’t have to, though. You’ve got friends, people who care about you. Let us help you.”

Kara finally faced Nia, tears shining in her bright blue eyes. “I don’t need help.”

“We _want_ to help.” Nia reached out a hand for Kara. “Please.”

Kara eyed Nia’s outstretched hand for a moment before she turned back around. Nia nearly groaned out loud, but she didn’t want to upset Kara further. She silently reached out to Brainy for help.

As if Brainy could hear Nia’s silent plea, his voice started to echo inside her head.

“Ask Kara about Lena’s ring.”

Nia had no idea what that meant, or if there was anything specific she should say about it, but she obeyed him.

“Do you remember Lena’s ring?”

Kara’s head snapped up, but still she didn’t look back at Nia. Nia leaned over, trying to make out Kara’s facial expression, but it was unreadable as far as she could tell.

“Ask her why she stole it,” Brainy said. Nia repeated him.

“Sinestro told me to,” Kara whispered. “He wanted me to steal it for _him_.”

“Ask her the _real_ reason she stole it,” Brainy said.

Kara breathed heavily, staring down at the ground intensely. Nia desperately wished she understood the context of this conversation, but apparently she wasn’t allowed to know anything, even when the fate of the universe was in her hands.

“Tell her that Lena remembers,” Brainy said. “Tell Kara that since the beginning, they’ve been in this together. They make each other stronger. Tell Kara that Lena will not let her fight this fight alone, and that just like when Kara abandoned the Red Lanterns to help Lena realize her true potential, Lena will do the same. Well, not the exact same thing, but you get the gist.”

It was a lot for Nia to remember, but even with her paraphrasing Kara got the message. She lifted her head and this time, when Nia saw her tears, she understood they weren’t tears of grief or frustration.

“Tell Lena we have to be careful,” Kara said, “when she meets me here.”

Nia nodded, but she had just one question. “Where exactly is ‘here?’”

Kara crossed the room and gestured out a window. Outside it, Nia recognized the familiar streets and traffic patterns the painted the scenery. It seemed that they would be heading back home.

**

Until Lena actually planted her feet on nice, firm soil, she hadn’t realized just how much she missed Earth. After spending weeks—or months, maybe, she couldn’t keep track now—in space it felt like a relief to be back on solid ground. Here she was in her element, she knew who she was and what she was doing. She was in control.

Ferris had escorted her back to Earth. Stargirl said she would have done it, but it was too dangerous to have have two Rainbow Lanterns in the same place at the same time without the proper protections. Despite all her previous misgivings about Lena, Ferris was all too eager to volunteer to bring Lena back to Earth. Seeing the content look wash over Ferris as she landed on the ground, Lena understood why.

Ferris was from Earth.

“How long has it been?” Lena asked.

Ferris closed her eyes and breathed in the fresh air. “Too long.” She opened her eyes and her happy expression was replaced with seriousness. “Come on, we don’t have much time to waste.”

They took off again, flying high in the sky so as not to be spotted by any civilians. Not that there were many civilians around to spot them, not way out in the middle of the cornfields.

The place Kara had agreed to meet Lena was one that was familiar to the both of them. It was a place isolated from civilization and Sinestro, one where Kara and Lena could be free to talk about anything they wanted.

But when Lena touched down in the crater Kara had made all those months ago and saw Kara standing there, watching the sky, she wanted to do anything but talk. She ran as fast as she could towards Kara, taking her by surprise as she gathered her in her arms and kissed her.

Despite her initial shock, Kara melted into the kiss easily, wrapping her arms tightly around Lena’s waist and pulling her flush against her body. Lena had missed this, feeling Kara safe and warm against her, holding her without any intention of ever letting go.

When Lena reluctantly stopped kissing Kara—if only to catch to her breath—she kept Kara close, draping her arms loosely around Kara’s neck and pressing her forehead against Kara’s. Lena closed her eyes, listening to Kara’s breaths, her heart calming down with the assurance that Kara was alive and safe.

“You can’t stay here,” Kara whispered.

Lena opened her eyes and found Kara’s wide with fear. A jolt shook through Lena’s body, making her shake and quiver.

“Let me help you,” Lena said. She trailed her fingers along Kara’s cheekbone, noticing the way Kara’s shaking decreased as she did so. “We’re in this together, remember. We always have been, and we always will.”

“This isn’t something you should be part of,” Kara insisted. “It’s too dangerous for you.”

“And it’s not for you?” Lena pulled away slightly, but kept her hands on Kara’s shoulders. “Just tell me what’s going on, Kara, you can’t keep secrets from me. You promised me you wouldn’t.”

Kara squeezed her eyes shut, but if it was to keep her tears at bay, it didn’t work. Tears slipped out of Kara’s eyes, journeying down her face until they dropped off onto her yellow suit.

“He told me,” Kara choked out, “Sinestro told me he could make it go away. All the pain. Before, he offered me an escape from the Red Lanterns. Now, though, now he knows a way to help me escape my past.”

Lena squeezed Kara’s hands so tightly her knuckles turned white. “What do you mean?”

More tears fell out of Kara’s eyes. “He can help me forget. He can help me forget the deaths of my family, everything I’ve been through. You don’t know, Lena, you don’t know the pain I feel _every single day_ when I think of them. Sinestro can help me so I never have to feel that pain again.”

Lena loosened her grip until Kara’s hands slipped out of hers. She took a step backward, shaking her head. “And in return you’ll help him—what? Destroy the Guardians?”

“ _Reinvent_ them,” Kara said. “They’re corrupt—”

“So is the Sinestro Corps!” Lena couldn’t understand what Kara was saying. Kara, her Kara, who was always thinking about everyone else, was really turning her back on everything she once believed in. “You’ll help Sinestro—who only wants to destroy those he hates—just so you can erase your memories?”

“It _hurts_ Lena!” Kara cried. “So much.”

“But there’s good things too!” Lena said. “If he erases your memories of your family, he’ll erase the good times too. Yes, I know how much it hurts you to remember their deaths, but what about their _lives_? If you let him erase your memories, there will be no one left to remember who they were. There will be no one left to tell stories about them. There will be no one left to carry on their legacy. If Sinestro erases your memories, they’ll die all over again. And I know you don’t want that.”

Kara shook her head, letting the tears spill out freely over her cheeks. Lena wrapped her arms around her, letting Kara sob into her chest. Lena ignored the despair she felt welling up in her own heart and searched for strength and courage to carry on. She let it pour out of her and into this beautiful woman that she cared so much about.

Eventually, Kara’s sobs slowed down and she lifted her head. She pressed her palm flat against Lena’s cheek, closing her eyes and feeling Lena’s strength crash into her like a wave. She sighed.

“I’m sorry, Lena,” she said. “I’m sorry I left you. I’m sorry I’m not as strong as you are—”

“Don’t say that.” Lena kissed Kara’s forehead. “Never say you’re not strong. You found the strength to leave the Red Lanterns. You came to rescue me from the Sinestro Corps. You became a hero here on Earth. You’re so fucking strong, Kara Zor-El.” Lena took Kara’s hand in hers and squeezed it. “But we’re stronger together.”

Kara swept Lena up in her arms and kissed her, again and again until Lena was left feeling breathless. She felt herself floating above the ground with Kara in her arms as they stayed pressed together. Lena wouldn’t let go of Kara ever again.

“Uh, guys?” Ferris called out. “We’ve got—”

Lena crashed to the ground, Kara falling beside her. She tried to push herself up, but something kept her pressed down. She lifted her head, but it felt like a weight. When she finally took in the scene before her, she refused to believe her eyes.

Ferris was being carried away by a familiar figure in a red suit. Sinestro was creating that green smoke that made Kara go limp before he lifted her off her feet and carried her away. And standing in front of Lena, holding some kind of device that was pointed directly at Lena, was Lex.

“It’s so nice to see you again, my dear sister.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry :( Thank you for reading and I appreciate your support! See you next week!


	17. Capture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena catches up with Lex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter today, sorry! It's been a weird week and I haven't found time to write when I normally would. But we're in the final act so prepare for some epic final chapters!

Being captured wouldn’t have been so painful if it hadn’t been Lex to catch her. His smug attitude twisted Lena’s stomach and made her want to throw up. But Lena wouldn’t give Lex that satisfaction, even in the submissive position he had her in. Even when Lex won, Lena wouldn’t let him enjoy that victory.

“I’ve been wondering where you went,” Lex said, pacing around the crater as Sinestro and the Red Lantern dragged Ferris and Kara onto their ship. “Luckily some friends of yours pointed me in the right direction.”

Seeing as Lena didn’t have a lot of friends here on Earth, she immediately knew who Lex was talking about. “I swear to God, Lex, if you hurt them—”

Lex waved a hand, shushing her. “Calm down, calm down, Lena. I needed valuable information from them. I didn’t hurt them—much.”

Lena tried to push herself up so she could throttle her brother, but she was still stuck in the same position. “I’ll kill you. I swear, Lex, as soon as I’m free, I will kill you.”

Lex knelt down and grinned. “Then I guess I can’t free you, can I? That’s okay, that was never part of my plan. I just needed you out of my way. Now that that’s done, I can move on with my plans.”

Two aliens in Yellow Lantern suits hoisted Lena up and started hauling her to the ship. Now that she was off her feet, Lena attempted to make a construct, literally any construct so long as it could distract Lex long enough for her to get away. But Lex was still pointing that machine at her and her body weight was crushing in on itself, making it difficult to breathe let alone use her powers. Still, that didn’t stop her from struggling in the aliens’ hands, trying to get them to loosen their grips. She heard Lex laughing behind her.

“I admire your determination, Lena,” Lex said. “But so long as this device is turned on and you’re within a mile radius of it, you’re weak as a child. Though, that shouldn’t be too unfamiliar a feeling.”

Lena grit her teeth as anger flared up inside of her. She let it course through her veins, heating up her skin until it was so hot that the aliens let go of her. She jumped at Lex and pushed him to the ground, wrapping her hands around his throat. He tried pointing the device at her, but the red in her body was so strong that it was rendered useless. Or, at least, that’s what she thought.

“Enough!”

At that word, Lena fell backwards, completely limp. The gravity weighed down on her again and she couldn’t move any part of her body. She rolled her eyes up, trying to find the source of the voice.

Sinestro sauntered up to the two of them and helped Lex up. Lex coughed dramatically, his fingers massaging his throat. Sinestro sighed at him.

“You humans are almost completely useless,” Sinestro said. “I thought you said your machine was finished.”

“I said I finished the _prototype_ ,” Lex spat, his words coming out roughly. “I haven’t quite figured out how to weaken Red Lanterns without harming your precious Sinestro Corps.”

“Well, figure it out,” Sinestro snapped. “You know your sister is a Rainbow Lantern. We cannot have her besting us because _you_ do not know how to fix your own invention!”

“Without this _invention_ ,” Lex sneered, “you wouldn’t have caught both my sister and the Kryptonian at the same time. I believe a ‘thank you’ is in order.”

“You may have my gratitude as soon as you prove yourself worthy of it.” Sinestro turned around and called to the aliens that had been holding onto Lena. “Feena Sik! Scivor! Come get this Lantern and bring her on board.”

The two aliens made their way back to Lena and pulled her toward the ship. They held her loosely now, as if they were ready to pull away at any second if her skin began burning again. They didn’t need to worry, though, Lena’s body was drained completely and she had no strength left to fight. She let them throw her into a cell on the ship and waited for whatever torture came next once they reached their destination.

\---

Back when Lena was living with the Sinestro Corps on their base, she made a point never to visit the prison. Even when she was completely under the influence of yellow power, it made her skin crawl to think of the poor souls trapped in those cells and Lena powerless to free them.

Although she was back in a terribly familiar place, Lena was shoved into a dark room that she had never seen before. Somehow that was worse, that she was put into an unfamiliar room in a place filled with memories of abuse she’d suffered at the hands of Sinestro. It made her feel more alone.

No light filtered through the small window in the door of her cell, and there were certainly no windows either. That was probably for the best, though. Lena shivered to think of the dirt and grime this room was caked in.

Lena barely had any time to adjust to her knew surroundings as moments after she was delivered to the cell, she was pulled back out again. The alien that gripped her arm was one of the same aliens on Earth, Feena Sik, if Lena was correct.

“You’re up first for interrogations, Rainbow Lantern,” Feena Sik muttered. She spat the words “Rainbow Lantern” as if they burned her tongue to say them.

“Is it worth it?” Lena asked. “Being Sinestro’s lackey?” Looking back, Lena knew it wasn’t.

She had a feeling Feena Sik felt the same way, as she dug her nails into Lena’s arm and refused to answer. She kept her eyes forward and remained silent the rest of the way to the interrogation room.

Feena Sik left her sitting in a chair, unbound and unrestrained. Once Feena Sik exited, Lena took advantage of the little security she had and tried to push herself out of the chair, but she felt the same way she did when Lex pointed that device at her. She was so heavy and her bones felt like noodles that she couldn’t find any strength within herself to get out of the chair.

“I wouldn’t even try,” Lex said as he stepped into the room. He pulled a stool up so he could sit in front of her. Lena noticed that stool was high, so Lex was only just slightly higher than Lena was. “I’ve filled this room with the same gas that powers my weakening device.”

“That’s a terrible name,” Lena snorted. She may not be in a position to actually hurt Lex physically, but she knew how to hurt him with her words all too well.

Lex frowned, but said nothing to acknowledge the effect Lena’s words had on him. “This gas comes from Sinestro’s blood, when converted from liquid form. It has all the same abilities Sinestro does, but without a body to control them, hence the physical device. Luckily, the gas in its natural state still has the power to weaken Lanterns of any form. Fascinating, isn’t it?”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying your little lab in the sky,” Lena said dryly. “But what about your plans on Earth? What happened to spying on everyone and taking away their privacy? I thought that would be your magnum opus.”

“Oh, you underestimate me, Lena,” Lex said. He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees as he moved his face into Lena’s personal space. “Of course I’m moving forward with those plans. You’re right, they are my magnum opus. And now that I’ve allied with Sinestro, they can be even better than I ever imagined. And it’s all thanks to your little friends.”

Lena squeezed her fists, but the anger didn’t make her any more powerful like it had before. Sinestro was right, Lex’s device needed work if the gas in its natural state worked even better.

“What did you do to Lois and Alex?” Lena asked. They were the only two people on Earth Lena had told about Lex’s plans, and she knew they’d been working together. Or so she thought.

She noticed a flicker of confusion on Lex’s face before he schooled it back into cool confidence. There was something Lex hadn’t known, but he didn’t want Lena aware of his ignorance. But she had lived with him her entire life, and she’d trained herself to study his behavior closely. Lex hadn’t known about either Lois or Alex—and Lena’s money was on Alex given Lois’ history with Luthor Corp—and Lena had just given him information without her realizing it. And he’d be wanting more.

“Don’t worry, they’re safe,” Lex said, “for now. After I forced Lois and… Alex to give me the information I needed, Sinestro helped me out with a neat Lantern trick. Did you know they can erase memories?”

Lena knew all too well, but she wouldn’t tell Lex how she knew. “So where are they now?”

“Back home, living their lives, doing their jobs. Lois hasn’t had a good scoop in days and Alex… well, she doesn’t know about anything out of the ordinary.”

Lex was fishing for any more information about Alex, trying to get Lena to tell him about this other supposed friend of hers that might know more than he would’ve liked. But Lena wouldn’t budge, not when there was something still not adding up about all of this.

If Alex had been with Lois that night when Lena talked to them on the phone about Lex’s plans, and Lois hadn’t told anyone else, then how did Lex not know who Alex was? Did Lois tell someone else or was someone else with her that night? If that was the case, then why would Lois lie to Lena unless it was someone Lena didn’t trust?

Someone like Sam.

And if Sam had indeed been with Lena, and Lex had delivered her straight to Sinestro, then Sam wasn’t back home, back to living her ordinary life again. More likely, Sam was back in the Sinestro Corps.

Blue light flared up deep in Lena’s gut. Sam had gotten out of the Sinestro Corps once, she could do it again. Lena just had to find some way to reach her. And she had to find some way to avoid letting Lex know that she knew Sam was the other informant.

“So long as they’re both safe and out of the loop,” Lena said, “I’m happy.”

Lex’s forehead creased. That obviously wasn’t the response he was looking for. “Of course, they won’t be safe for long, once my plan has been set into motion. With all of this alien tech, that could happen sooner rather than later.”

“And what does Sinestro get out of all this?” Lena asked.

“Who’s interrogating who here?” Lex snapped. “I know what you’re trying to do here, make me give you more information than I’m willing to give. But that won’t happen, Lena, you know why? Because I _won_. I bested you. And you will rot in here, under Sinestro’s control, for the rest of your miserable life.”

But Lex was wrong. Lena wouldn’t rot in here because Lex had already given her more information than he wanted to give her. Lex hadn’t won and the only reason he was so angry and had her brought back to her cell was because he knew that. And it was safer for him to have Lena locked away in the dark than to ask her the questions he needed to ask her. They were too similar and they knew each others’ tactics, but they hadn’t yet figured out how to outsmart the other.

There was one thing Lex hadn’t counted on, though. With Lena locked away in her tiny cell with nothing to do, she had all the time in the world to figure out how to outsmart him. And as she sat there, creating her plans in her mind, her cell lit up just a fraction with blue light emanating from Lena’s skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and sticking with this story, y'all! See you next week!


	18. Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena escapes, only to discover there's work waiting for her on Earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're nearing the end! I'm planning on one or two more chapters with a short epilogue. Thank you all so much for sticking with this crazy story and I hope you enjoy this new chapter!

It was almost too easy for Lena to figure out how to break out of her cell. Without Lex pointing that power-weakening device at her, Lena had full access to her powers and could use her strength to break the lock on the door. But getting out of the cell wasn’t the hard part. No, the hard part would be actually getting out of the prison itself and contacting Sam.

And, if possible, freeing Kara as well.

Obviously her top priority had to be saving the world. But once Lena escaped the Sinestro Corps’ base, who knew what they would do to Kara? It was absolutely necessary—at least, in Lena’s eyes—to save Kara before saving the world. Lena knew the world needed her power and knowledge of Lex’s weapons to save it, but they also needed a hero.

They needed Supergirl.

Not just them, but Lena needed Kara, too. Throughout this whole journey it had been Kara motivating her, keeping her going, keeping her from turning yellow. If Lena lost Kara now, she didn’t know if she’d have the strength to finish the job.

Over the past few days, Lena had memorized the guards’ schedules. It was too easy, going in between shifts and Lena preferred a challenge, but she needed this done fast. So when she saw the guards walking past her cell, peering in quickly to make sure she was still in there, Lena began counting down the small window of time she had to grab Kara and get the hell out of there.

In all her free time, Lena didn’t just memorize the guards’ schedules, but the map of the prison as well. It had been tricky, only being able to send out her energy twin during the shift changes and taking in one little piece of the prison at a time, but she’d eventually found what she was looking for: Kara’s cell and an exit.

Once the door was open, Lena knew exactly where to go from there and she walked quickly down the hall, careful not to make a sound. If prisoners in other cells noticed her, they didn’t alert anyone. Lena made a note to herself to look into these remaining prisoners when all was said and done.

When Lena reached Kara’s cell the first thing she noticed was that Kara was slumped against the wall, her head hanging down loosely. At first, Lena was terrified that Kara was dead, that she’d taken too much time in her rescue attempt. But then she heard Kara’s shallow, spaced out breaths. Lena sighed in relief. Kara was alive, barely, but there was still hope.

Lena ripped the lock off Kara’s cell and rushed inside. Kara reacted slowly, her head lifted up by the time Lena was already at her side. Kara frowned and looked away.

“Haven’t you tortured me enough?” Kara demanded.

Lena shrunk away from Kara. What was happening? Didn’t Kara trust her? “I—I’m sorry, Kara. I just wanted to help you.”

“Go away!” Kara shouted. “You’re not real!”

Either Kara had seen Lena’s energy twin—which was entirely possible since she used to be a Lantern—or Kara had been having hallucinations of Lena. Either way, this image of Lena she’d been seeing had been tormenting her, teasing her with memories of love and freedom.

Lena’s heart broke.

Lena knew she didn’t have time for this, but she had to make sure Kara was okay before she whisked her off to safety. Lena knelt down beside Kara, her hand hovering near her skin.

“I’m real, Kara,” Lena whispered, “I promise. Just—just look at me, okay?”

Kara shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut. “Go away, go away, go _away_! Please.” Her voice broke.

Lena’s fingers just barely grazed Kara’s cheek. She noticed Kara shiver.

“Can I touch you?” Lena asked softly.

Kara started breathing heavily and she slowly opened her eyes, but kept them facing away from Lena. She nodded.

Lena let the tips of her fingers brush against Kara’s cheek and then traced her cheekbone before they finally reached Kara’s chapped lips. Kara’s hair stood up on end and she sank into the feeling gratefully.

“See,” Lena said, “I’m as real as you are.”

Kara’s hand reached up and gripped Lena’s wrist to keep it in place. Kara held onto Lena so tightly her fingers turned white, but Lena didn’t mind the pain as she watched Kara’s shoulder’s drop as she let out a deep breath.

“You’re real.” Kara finally turned to look at Lena. Though Kara’s face was pale and ashen, her eyes still shone bright. “ _Lena_. You’re here.”

Lena nodded. “I am. But we have to go, _now_. Can you walk?”

Kara pushed herself to her feet shakily. Lena could tell even before Kara stood up that she was going to fall. Lena instinctively reached for Kara just as she tipped to one side and held her up. Kara leaned back against the wall, grabbing Lena’s hands and roughly pushing them away from herself.

“Go without me,” Kara insisted. “I’ll only slow you down.”

Lena shook her head. If she left Kara here now there was a very real possibility Kara would be dead by the time she returned. There was no fucking way Lena would leave Kara behind.

Lena wrapped an arm around Kara and pulled her close. “You could never slow me down.” She knelt down and placed her other arm under Kara’s knees. When Lena stood back up, Kara was nestled in arms, bridal style. Lena had a vague memory of being carried in Kara’s arms just like this, a long, long time ago.

“You don’t have to do this,” Kara said softly. “I don’t know if I deserve it. Not after everything I’ve done.”

Lena tucked a loose strand of Kara’s hair behind her ear. “It’s not about what you’ve done in the past. It’s about what you’re going to do to fix it.”

Kara nodded, but her eyes were heavily lidded and she closed them just a few seconds later, resting her head on Lena’s chest. Lena wasn’t sure that Kara understood her words, but what was important that she’d heard them.

After spending so much time in Kara’s cell, Lena had missed her opportunity to flee the area before the new guards came in. She’d planned for this, just in case, but her plans hadn’t included her carrying Kara in her arms. She’d just have to improvise.

Lena crept down the hallway, listening for the guards’ footsteps. If she didn’t run into them, she wouldn’t have to go through with her risky plan. The exit into the main base wasn’t that far away, just a few more feet—

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?”

Lena sighed deeply and turned around. By this time, Kara was completely passed out. The guards gave Kara’s limp body one look and assumed the worst.

“Did you _kill_ her?” one of the guards asked, rushing towards them. Lena held out one of her hands, careful not to let her arm slip out from under Kara’s body, and made a wall construct. The guard banged right into it and she fell to the ground.

Lena hoped that was all she had to do, but the other guard had other plans. He ran at Lena, just barely avoiding the wall as Lena desperately tried to extend it and pushed her back against the wall. He crushed Kara’s body between them so hard that Kara’s breathing started to get wheezy.

“Get off of me!” Lena yelled, constructing a giant hand that pushed the guard back against the wall. This was where the risky part came in.

It wasn’t hard creating a construct. Once Lena figured it out, she could do it in her sleep. It was the one thing every single Lantern mastered right away. She easily conjured up chains that wrapped around the guard’s wrists and feet and then bolted them to the wall. She pushed the other guard against the wall and did the same to her.

The hard part would be keeping that construct in place long enough for Lena and Kara to escape. The farther away Lena got, the harder it would be to keep the constructs’ forms. It would mean rushing through the base, not being careful or paying attention as she focused completely on keeping the constructs in place.

But Lena had created an energy twin on Earth when she was millions of miles away from it. How hard could this be?

Lena watched the two guards as they struggled against her constructs as she walked backwards out of the prison. She only turned around once she reached the door, easily hacking into the electronic lock. She kept half of her mind filled with the images of those chains while keeping to the shadows, sneaking into secret passages whenever she could.

Kara started growing heavy in her arms, but Lena kept pushing on. They were so close, they couldn’t give up now—

Lena ran straight into a solid body and the moment she made contact, she felt her constructs break. It felt like a weight lifting off her shoulders and Kara became much lighter, but it also meant there would soon be a group of Yellow Lanterns on her tail.

But that all paled in comparison to running into her fucking brother.

Lex grinned as he took in Lena and Kara. “I’m not surprised you managed to break out. I just thought it would take you much longer to figure out how to escape. Though I suppose you haven’t escaped yet.”

Lena didn’t waste time creating a construct to shut Lex up. She conjured a rope wrapped around his skinny throat and pulled it tight. Lex fell to his knees, his mouth opening and closing but making no noise.

“The operative word being ‘yet,’” Lena said, standing tall above him. “Don’t worry, _dear brother_ , you’re merely an obstacle. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you soon.”

Lena ran on, leaving him choking on the ground. As soon as the tension began to pull on her, she let the construct go. Lex would certainly tell Sinestro of her escape, but he had to get to him first, and by the time he did, Lena and Kara would be long gone.

When Lena reached the room that would lead her out into the vacuum of space, she hesitated. Not because she thought she was making the wrong choice, but because she didn’t know where to go from there. She realized that when making her escape plans, she’d never thought she’d succeed.

Now that she was standing here, victorious, she had no idea how to get to Earth.

She felt fingers stroking her face. She looked down and saw Kara looking up at her, her eyebrows creased with worry.

“What’s wrong?” Kara asked.

Lena stared out at the endless blackness. She couldn’t even see any stars out here. If she could see the stars, maybe she could find her way home. But without stars, it was hopeless.

“I can’t find my way back home,” Lena told her. She hated the way her voice cracked.

Kara smiled up at her. “That’s okay. I know the way. At least, I know the way to where Krypton used to be.”

“Are there stars near Krypton?”

Kara laughed. “Of course. Why?”

Lena took Kara’s palm and kissed it, pressing her smile into it. “As long as you can find the stars, I can find home. You can breathe in space, right?”

Kara laughed again and nodded. Lena noticed life coming back into her girl and hope fluttered in her chest.

“Then let’s go home.”

Lena swung open the door and flew out into the darkness. So long as Kara was with her, she knew she’d find her way back home.

\---

Lena easily found the crater Kara had created, if not simply because she’s been there multiple times since then, but from the huge crowd of people surrounding it. After the latest alien visit to that specific spot, it seemed it had finally gained popularity. Luckily, Lena wasn’t heading for the crater, just using it as a landmark.

Lena didn’t know why, but she’d expected the hospital she’d visited with Kara all those months ago to change just as much as she had. Yet, there it stood, exactly the same as how she’d left it, as if it had been waiting for her to come back.

Lena landed on the ground gently so as not to jostle Kara. Kara was asleep again after being awake for the entire journey so she could point the way out to Lena. Now Kara got to rest—if only for a short time.

Lena didn’t bother changing out of her Star Sapphires suit Stargirl had lent her. She didn’t care about the stares she’d get as soon as she walked into that emergency room decked out in alien clothes and carrying an unconscious woman with double her muscle mass in her arms. There was only one person who was allowed to ask Lena questions about her appearance, but Lena was pretty sure that person already knew what was going on.

“Dr. Alex Danvers,” Lena told the receptionist breathlessly.

“Do you have an appointment with her?” the receptionist asked in a chirpy voice.

“No—”

“I’m so sorry,” the receptionist said, a pleasant smile taking over his face, “I’m afraid I can’t let you see her without an appointment.”

“Just tell her it’s Lena Luthor and Kara Zor-El here to see her.” Lena spoke quickly, not even thinking through her words or their implications. “She’ll know who we are—”

“Did you say Lena Luthor?” the receptionist’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “ _You’re_ Lena Luthor?”

So Lena probably shouldn’t have told him her real name, but this was a real emergency. They needed to make a plan and act fast and the only person left on Earth that she could trust was only a few feet away from her. Besides, it wasn’t like she was a wanted person or anything, she just wasn’t very high in the public opinion. That wasn’t a crime though.

“Can you just give me a second?” The receptionist bolted from the desk before Lena could him an answer. He whispered frantically to a couple other receptionists, gesturing at Lena. She thought he said something about “Luthor” and “criminal.” Surely they weren’t talking about her?

“Lena?”

Lena turned and found Alex standing in the doorway, her eyes wide and nervous. “Alex, thank god, I need to talk to you right away—”

“You need to leave,” Alex said, “ _now_.”

Lena blinked at her in disbelief. “What are you talking about? I really need to tell you that my brother—”

“—has accused you of collecting people’s information without their consent to send to the Russian government,” Alex explained. “You can’t be here, they’re going to call the cops.”

Sure enough, the receptionist had a phone pressed to his ear and whispered into it. Lena glanced around the room and found everyone staring at her, but not for the reasons she thought they would.

Lex was _good_.

“Where can we meet?” Lena asked Alex, leaning in close to her. She didn’t want to implicate Alex in her crimes as well. She’d managed to keep her distance from all this drama so well in these past few months.

Alex looked around the room subtly, before she leaned back in and whispered, “Lois’ apartment.”

“But Lois is—”

“I know, I know. I have a key. Go there now and make sure no one sees you. I’ll meet you there as soon as my shift is over. Go—now, before the cops get here.”

Lena nodded, giving the receptionist one more quick glance. He’d hung up the phone and was now staring at Lena intensely. She turned away and ran as fast as she could out of the building. She heard shouting behind her, but by the time the staff had gotten outside Lena was high in the sky.

\---

Lois’ apartment had never looked like such a mess. The few times Lena had been there before she’d noticed how neat and tidy everything was. Lena had reached for a book on the shelf and Lois had yelled at her that she’d mess up the system. From this mess it was not only clear that Lois hadn’t been there in quite some time, but someone had broken in and pulled everything apart, possibly searching for something. There was one thing Lena knew for sure, though: Lois would not be happy when she came home to this.

Lena laid Kara down on Lois’ bed, scattering a few newspapers to the floor as she did so. She knelt beside Kara on the bed and stroked her hair back from her face. Kara seemed so peaceful, but Lena knew that as soon as she woke up she’d be in pain again. Hopefully her rest would help with that a little.

Lena reached for Kara’s hand and squeezed it. Kara gasped sharply, as if she could feel the contact in her sleep.

“You’re going to be okay,” Lena whispered, stroking her thumb along the back of Kara’s hand to soothe her again. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Not anymore. This will all be over soon.”

Lena left Kara on the bed as she went and explored more of the apartment. She felt her body relax and calm down in a way it hadn’t in months. For once she could pause and take a breath.

As she wandered around the apartment, trying to tidy it up as much as she could, she wondered if the person who’d made this mess ever found what they’d been looking for. She guessed they hadn’t, since every inch of the apartment was covered in random books and sheets of paper. If they’d found it, they would’ve stopped searching.

Lena picked up the stack of newspapers piled up by Lois’ front door, about to stuff them into the recycling bin until the headline on the top paper caught her eye.

“LENA LUTHOR ACCUSED OF SELLING U.S. CITIZENS TO RUSSIA”

It was a bit dramatic if what Alex had told her was true. But it certainly grabbed people’s attention—after all, it stopped Lena’s heart. She skimmed the article.

“ _After stepping down from Luthor Corp just mere months ago, former CBO Lena Luthor has been caught in another scandal, but this time at the cost of our own citizens. During her time at Luthor Corp, Ms. Luthor has allegedly been collecting data from those using Luthor Corp devices and selling that information to the Russian government._

“’ _I always knew my sister had outlandish ideas,’ says Lex Luthor, CEO of Luthor Corp, Ms. Luthor’s brother, and informant for this news. ‘But this is just plain dangerous. We need justice to be served for the sake of the rights of all our citizens.’_

“ _The FBI has now taken over this case and are currently embarking on a nationwide manhunt for Ms. Luthor’s whereabouts. She is to be considered a dangerous threat to national security and no one should engage with her. If you encounter her, authorities are meant to be contacted immediately._

“ _In addition, Mr. Luthor urges those who may be at stake to purchase a sweeper for all their electronic devices that could possibly be affected by Ms. Luthor’s invasive virus. He has developed such an invention specifically for this situation._

“’ _You have my personal guarantee that these official Luthor Corp sweepers will not invade your privacy in any way,’ Mr. Luthor assures us. ‘Right now, my most important priority is keeping everyone safe.’_

“ _Official Luthor Corp sweepers are available at almost every retail store now for the low price of $599.99.”_

Lena threw the newspaper down in a huff.

“Lex has been busy since you left.”

Lena whirled around, a construct ready in her mind, but it was Alex leaning against the doorway, her lips turned down in a frown.

The problem wasn’t that Lex had soured Lena’s name while she was absent from Earth and couldn’t do anything about it, it was that she knew Lex would have done it even if she’d been right by his side the entire time.

“Did Lois show you the plans I sent her?” Lena asked. This was what everything had been leading up to for Lex. He fired Lena from Luthor Corp, then when public opinion of Lena was at its lowest, he pulled this bullshit. Last, but not least, he convinced everyone that he only cared about their safety and security so they’d buy his products filled with those pesky surveillance drones.

Between Lex and Sinestro, the world didn’t stand a chance.

Alex shook her head, making her way toward Lois’ desk. She shuffled through all the documents lying there, barely glancing at them like she’d done this a million times. That’s when it hit Lena: Alex was the one who’d been looking through Lois’ apartment. She’d been trying to find those plans Lena had sent her. If Alex hadn’t been able to find them, that meant—

“Lex has them,” Lena groaned, dropping onto the couch and letting her head fall into her hands. “I managed to get a copy to Lois and he took it back as if it never existed at all. I’ll never be able to get another copy of those plans. No doubt he’s increased his security since he found out Lois got a hold of them.”

Alex sank into the couch beside her. “See, that’s what I thought too at first. But Lois is too smart to only make one print copy of those plans. She must have known that Lex would find out one way or another. There should be backups.”

Alex was right. As much as Lena hated to admit it, Lois had the capacity to be a Luthor. She was smart, sly, and just charming enough to convince people she wasn’t. So if Lois thought like a Luthor, then Lena could certainly think like Lois. If she was the best reporter in the world, where would she hide dangerous plans of an egomaniac billionaire?

Lena stood up, stalking around the apartment and trying to retrace steps that didn’t belong to her. She passed the computer, but that would be too easy for Lex to hack. The drawers of her desk were too obvious. The kitchen was just weird enough to be considered an unlikely place to hide something that important and Lex would’ve searched there immediately. In fact, every spot in Lois’ apartment was too obvious. Lois would’ve known Lex would search there first. Her office would be next.

But where else would Lois hide the plans that Lex would never look?

It had to be somewhere significant to Lois so she wouldn’t forget, but somewhere Lex wouldn’t bother looking. A place hidden in plain sight, a place Lex knew about, but didn’t care enough about to look.

Lena knew exactly where Lois hid the plans.

She told Alex as much and headed to Lois’ closet. She needed to borrow some less ostentatious clothes if didn’t want people to notice her.

“There’s no way you can go out there,” Alex protested. “Too many people will recognize you. The police will be on your tail as soon as you walk through that door.”

Lena tugged off her Star Sapphire suit and pulled on a pair of dark gray sweats and a black sweatshirt.

“Also, no offense,” Alex continued, “but that’s the most obvious ‘I’m hiding from the police’ look you could’ve gone with.”

Lena ignored her and pulled her hair back under the hood. “I’ll leave through the window then. I’ll fly high above the clouds and be on the ground and safe before anyone can say, ‘It’s a bird, it’s a plane!’ This thing has to end, and unfortunately I’ve got another impending threat on the way, so I’d rather deal with this first.”

“Where are you even going?” Alex demanded.

“The less people that know,” Lena told her, “the better. Just wait here and I’ll get the plans to you soon. You know what to do from there.” She smiled. “Just remember—WWLLD?”

Alex smiled. “What would Lois Lane do?”

Lena nodded and grinned back at her.

“I’m coming with you.”

Lena froze in her tracks. She would know that voice anywhere, though it usually sounded much stronger. She whirled around and found Kara struggling to get out of bed. Lena rushed over to her and tried to sit her back down, but Kara was at least strong enough to resist.

“ _No_ , Lena,” Kara said. She grabbed Lena’s shoulders tightly, not to steady herself but to steady Lena. “You said it yourself. We’re in this _together_. Wherever you go, I go.”

“You’re not strong enough—”

“You said I make you strong, right?” Kara smiled and pressed her hand to Lena’s chest. Lena could feel heat and power coursing straight to her heart and traveling through it into Kara’s hand. She watched in awe as Kara’s hand, then her arm, then her chest, then her entire body became a rainbow pattern, flowing freely through all the colors. “You do the same for me.”

“This is so gay,” Alex said.

Lena could feel Kara gaining strength as she took more and more of Lena’s power. The strangest thing was that Lena didn’t get weaker. In fact, she could feel herself inflate with power as she used it more. Kara was right, they literally made each other stronger.

When Kara took her hand off Lena’s chest she sagged in relief, flexing her arms and jumping up and down. “I feel brand new!”

Lena laughed and grabbed Kara’s hands. They grinned at each other, getting strength from the sight of the other’s smile.

“Are you ready to go save the world?” Lena asked.

“Should I carry you or do you want to carry me?” Kara asked.

Lena shook her head fondly, grabbed Kara’s hand, and they flew out the window together.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! See you next week!


	19. Where It All Began

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena returns to a familiar place. Nia finds out too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly shorter chapter than I wanted it to be, but I got caught up in writing another fic for my sister. I think the next chapter will be my last, with a short epilogue after it. Thanks for staying with this mess and I hope you enjoy the chapter!

A wave of nostalgia hit Lena as her feet landed on the ground. Though it had only been a few months since she’d last been back home, it felt like years had passed. The last time she’d set foot here was right after she first met Kara and by now Lena felt as if she’d known her for a lifetime. Lena had become a brand new person and stood in front of her childhood home for the first time knowing exactly who she was.

The best part was, Lillian and Lex had nothing to do with her newfound confidence. All those years of abuse and mental torture they claimed would make her stronger wasn’t what led her to this moment. Her success came from her and her alone.

Well, and of course, a certain blonde alien.

Reluctantly, Lena set Kara down on the ground, keeping her hands on her shoulders to steady her. Kara swayed on her feet slightly, still woozy from the trip.

“Are you okay?” Lena asked, placing a hand on Kara’s cheek.

Kara nodded, leaning into the touch. “I’m fine. Let’s go find those blueprints.”

As Lena led Kara around the back of the house she tried to ignore the way Kara moved along like a zombie. When Kara would find Lena watching her, she’d give her a smile, trying to silently assure her that she was perfectly fine. Lena smiled back, but her heart still pounded with worry. Right now, the most important thing was finding the blueprints and exposing Lex. Lena would find a way to make Kara stronger later.

The backyard was full of lush green grass and if Lena hadn’t known where to look, her eyes would have passed over the slight difference in color where a crater used to be. She nodded silently to Kara and they made their way to the middle of it.

“You’re absolutely sure Lois buried the blueprints here?” Kara asked. She studied the grass skeptically.

Lena nodded, getting on her hands and knees and searching for any irregularities in the sea of grass. She was putting a lot of faith into Lois—and if Lois really had buried the blueprints here, she was putting a lot of faith into Lena as well. Lena felt a purple warmth creeping into her heart at the thought of someone trusting her that much.

The only problem Lois had was that she was a little too good at hiding things. Lena swore she had covered every single inch of the grass where the crater used to be and she found no evidence that the ground had ever been broken. Maybe she had been wrong after all.

She turned around to tell Kara they were back to square one, but Kara was staring intensely at the ground, her skin growing paler the longer she studied the ground. Lena’s heart started racing and she rushed to Kara’s side. She reached Kara just as she wavered and fell back into Lena’s arms.

“Kara!” Lena cried. “Are you okay? What did you do?”

Kara’s face was completely white and she reminded Lena of a vampire. Lena’s always been fascinated by vampires, but right now they made her sick. She had just gotten Kara back, she’d been getting better. Why would Kara make herself worse?

When Kara spoke, her words came out between gasps of breath. “X… ray… vision.” Kara pointed a shaking finger to a point on the grass. “Blueprints… over… there.”

Lena carefully set Kara down on the ground before following her finger. Kara nodded when she reached the spot before closing her eyes.

“Don’t close your eyes,” Lena told her. “Please, if you close your eyes—”

Kara opened her eyes again and smiled. “It’s okay, Lena. I promise I won’t close my eyes. I can’t die right now. There are too many things left for me to do.”

Lena relaxed slightly at her words, but she couldn’t help but notice how slowly Kara’s heart beat. Lena had to find these blueprints fast and get Kara to Alex before Lena stopped hearing Kara’s heartbeat altogether.

Lena created a shovel construct and started digging. It took much longer than Lena thought to reach something other than dirt. Apparently Lois was worried that someone else would figure out and dug the blueprints at least three feet deep—which doesn’t sound like a lot until you actually start digging.

Lena reached for the small cardboard box and peaked inside, making sure it was exactly what she was looking for. She didn’t have a lot of time to study it or fill the hole back up (not that that mattered now there was nothing hidden there anymore). She had to get Kara back as soon as possible.

“’S that… it?” Kara asked as Lena hoisted her up. She set the box on Kara’s stomach.

“Yep,” Lena answered. She lifted her feet off the ground. “Time for the real work to begin.”

**

The moment the Sinestro Corps stepped foot on Oa, Nia knew something was very, very wrong. None of the rest of the Guardians seemed to sense the bad vibes emanating from Sinestro and the rest of his Corps, except for Brainy.

When Nia’s body tensed up, Brainy immediately placed a comforting hand on her back, turning his face to silently ask if she was alright. Nia stared back at him, sending out “Danger! Danger!” sirens to his head. She wasn’t sure if he got them, but his jaw clenched and his eyebrows furrowed together.

Sinestro stepped forward, away from his Corps and addressed the Guardians. “I am here to speak to you about a common enemy: the Rainbow Lantern, Lena Luthor.”

Nia grabbed for Brainy’s hand. She hadn’t even thought about it before she did it. But now that the moment was gone and she was focused on the feel of Brainy’s hand in hers, she blushed and took her hand away. Brainy smiled at her sympathetically, though Nia guessed it was more for her worry about Lena rather than her awkward hand grab.

“Why do you suggest she’s our enemy as well?” one of the Lanterns asked.

Sinestro laughed. “Do not pretend to be ignorant, Lantern Jordan. I know of you nearly taking her prisoner and your fight with the Star Sapphires to try to get her back. I know she has messed up your plans just as much as she has mine. What I am offering to you now is my support in getting rid of her.”

“You know what they say,” Lantern Jordan muttered, “the enemy of my enemy…”

“No!”

Nia hadn’t even realized it was her who had screamed that word until everyone in the room turned to stare at her in shock. She tried to back away, melt into the crowd behind her, but Sinestro’s eyes bore into hers, daring her to explain herself.

“I-I’m sorry,” Nia said. She felt something brush her hand. She glanced down and found Brainy tentatively weaving his fingers in between hers. She smiled at him and squeezed his hand. “I just want—”

“It’s okay, Nia,” Brainy whispered, “speak your mind.”

Nia remembered a day, one that seemed so long ago now, where she found the courage to actually talk to Lois Lane— _the_ Lois Lane about her work on the newspaper. Wherever that courage had come from, she desperately needed some of it again now.

“If the Guardians really want to ally themselves with the Sinestro Corps,” Nia said, trying to keep her eyes locked on Lantern Jordan’s, “then I think they should think long and hard about it. This isn’t a decision that should be made in a split second. Not when we don’t even really know if Lena _is_ the enemy—”

“The Rainbow Lantern can’t be trusted,” Lantern Jordan interjected. “Every time we try to give her a chance, she finds a new way to turn on us.”

“We already learned the hard way what can happen when we let a Rainbow Lantern out on her own without a Corps,” Sinestro said. “We cannot afford for one of the most powerful beings in the universe to turn on us again.”

“Maybe—” Nia stopped herself before she said something she knew she’d regret. She was going to say, “Maybe it was your fault the other Rainbow Lantern turned on you because you’re, you know, evil?” But she didn’t even need to see Brainy’s subtle head shake to know what a bad idea _that_ was.

Sinestro looked at Nia again. “What is this _human_ doing here anyway?” He turned his nose up at her, as if she smelled. Maybe she did. It had been a couple days since she showered, but only because she couldn’t figure out how the showers on Oa worked and at this point she was too embarrassed to ask.

“She’s my guest,” Jessica spoke up. “She has permission to go where she pleases, so long as I am with her. You don’t need to worry about her.”

Sinestro narrowed his eyes at Nia, but took Jessica’s advice and ignored her. He addressed Lantern Jordan again. “I beseech the Guardians only because I have no other choice. I understand you may want more time to mull this over, but the fact of the matter is that Lantern Luthor may already be planning her attack on you as we speak. She is evil, she is ruthless, and she is always one step ahead. If we have any chance of beating her, the time to act is _now_.”

This was so wrong. If the situation was this serious as Sinestro made it seem, then the Guardians needed time not just to think it over, but to actually get an army together, to plan their strategy. They couldn’t just jump into it.

But Nia could see fear taking over all the Guardians’ features. She glanced over at Brainy and Jessica, and noticed their eyes widening and their mouths gaping open. Suddenly, in a second, everyone in the room had become absolutely terrified.

Everyone except Nia.

She waved a hand over Brainy and Jessica’s faces, but they didn’t seem to notice. Sinestro did, though. He stalked over to where Nia stood and studied her closely. Nia felt stuffy and uncomfortable under his intense gaze.

“Fascinating,” Sinestro mused. “Feena Sik? Why is this human immune to my powers?”

A Yellow Lantern made her way over to Nia and dragged her nails down her cheek. Nia shuddered at the touch and tried to turn away, but Feena Sik grabbed her chin and kept it locked in place.

Feena Sik smirked. “She’s not. But you’re causing them to hallucinate a nightmare.” Feena Sik tapped a long finger against Nia’s forehead. “This _human_ can control dreams. No wonder Lantern Cruz wants to protect you so badly.” Feena Sik glanced over at Jessica, whose face had turned from fear to panic. “I wonder what she’s dreaming about. I bet you could find out if you wanted to.”

Nia ignored that. She’d never force herself into someone’s head like that, not without their consent. “What did you do to them?”

“The same thing I was hoping to do to you,” Sinestro sighed. “I suppose I will have to figure out some other way to keep you from meddling in my plans. Feena? Any ideas?”

Feena Sik smiled. It seemed as if she was full of ideas. “Let’s reunite her with her own kind, shall we? I’m wondering, dreamer girl, if you’re well acquainted with some new friends of mine, Lois Lane and Samantha Arias.”

Nia’s breath caught in her throat.

**

Now that Kara was safely in Lois’ bed, being taken care of by Alex, Lena could relax… slightly. There was still the issue of getting the blueprints exposed before everyone bought Lex’s new tech. _Then_ Lena still had to deal with the Sinestro Corps out in space.

In all her years of working at Luthor Corp, Lena had never been so stressed.

Lena scanned the blueprints to Lois’ computer and downloaded them. She needed to hurry now, it was too risky to have those blueprints sitting in Lois’ computer where Lex’s company could hack into it at any time. But it was better to do it on Lois’ private computer than “The Daily Planet” network. Who knew who could get their hands on it there?

The only problem was that Lena had no idea where to start. She could rant and rave about how much she hated Lex all day, but that wouldn’t convince the public she was telling the truth. For all her intellect, Lena had no idea how to write a news article.

She was saved from overthinking to the point where her brain blew up by the sudden appearance of Nia in the middle of Lois’ living room. Nia seemed worried, and looked around the room wildly, as if searching for enemies.

Lena stood up and reached for Nia, only to find her hand going right through her body. Of course Nia was astral projecting; how else would she have appeared so suddenly and gotten to Earth so quickly?

“What’s going on?” Lena asked. If Nia was here, there must be something wrong up on Oa.

Nia seemed to realize Lena was standing in front of her. Her eyes widened and she seemed shocked at Lena’s presence. “Lena? What the hell are you doing at Lois’ apartment?”

“I could ask you the same thing.” Lena wasn’t mad at Nia, she never could be, but she didn’t like the fear dancing in Nia’s eyes.

Nia turned her head suddenly and stared into the distance. She nodded and said, “Yeah, she seems to be alone.”

“Who are you talking to?” Lena asked, looking beyond Nia to see if there was something she was missing.

“Sorry,” Nia said, turning back to Lena, “forgot you can’t hear them. I’m with Lois and Sam.”

Lena’s eyes widened. “Are they okay? What happened to them?”

“They’re fine.” Nia frowned. “Well, not _fine_ , but they’re alive. Sinestro’s captured all three of us, he’s got us locked up back on his base. We think. None of us are really sure where we are right now.”

Guilt pierced Lena’s chest. She had been there just hours ago and she hadn’t even thought to look for them. She’d return for them as soon as possible.

“Anyway,” Nia continued, “you never answered my question. What the hell are you doing in Lois’ apartment?”

“I didn’t know where else to go,” Lena admitted. “When I escaped Sinestro with Kara—”

“Wait,” Nia interrupted, “Kara’s with you?”

“Yeah, and so is Alex. Kara’s weak and Alex is taking care of her right now, but I don’t think she’s up for fight if it comes to it. Whatever we plan, it shouldn’t involve her.”

Nia turned her head and remained silent for a moment. She nodded and looked at Lena again. “Lois needs you to find something for her. She says it’s important.”

“If she’s talking about the blueprints, I already found them.”

Nia laughed, throwing her head back. “Sinestro was right, you always are one step ahead. Yeah, Lois, she already found them… Okay, I’ll ask her. Lena, will you post the blueprints in ‘The Daily Planet’ for Lois? She’d do it herself but she’s a little… preoccupied.”

“That’s exactly what I was working on right before you showed up.” Lena hesitated. “But I’m having trouble actually writing the article. Apparently I’m not a very good journalist.”

“Maybe I can help.”

Lena whirled around and found Kara stumbling from the bedroom. Alex kept an arm around Kara’s back, keeping her steady. Lena nearly felt jealous, but the way Alex looked at Kara and held her reminded Lena more of a sister than a girlfriend.

“Kara, you need to rest,” Lena insisted.

Alex shrugged. “I tried to tell her the same thing, but she overheard you talking out here and, well…”

“I worked for the press back on Krypton,” Kara explained. “It’s been a while, and I’m sure the way it works here is completely different, but I’m a natural when it comes to words. And since I’m not really in a state for fighting physically…”

“It’s still fighting,” Lena said, smiling at Kara, “just in a different way.”

“I love it,” Nia said, a wide grin spilling over her face. She was stuck in a prison cell on a distant planet and she was grinning like she just won the lottery. “The fourth estate for the win!”

Kara reached for Lena’s hands and squeezed them. “You deal with Sinestro and I’ll stay here and write the article.”

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Lena asked.

Kara nodded and stroked her fingers along Lena’s collarbone. “I always am, aren’t I?”

“Hardly.” Lena tried to let out a sarcastic laugh, but it got caught in her throat and came out sounding more like a sob. “Look, Lex is probably just as big a threat as Sinestro here on Earth. But Lex fights in a different way, a more tactful way. He thinks everything through before he does it, so you have to catch him then. If he figures out what we’re doing soon he might have a response by the time you’ve exposed him. You need to post those blueprints as soon as you can, okay, Kara? It doesn’t matter if the article itself is sloppy, it doesn’t need to win a Pulitzer or anything. It just needs to reach the public.”

Kara smiled and pressed her lips against Lena’s. Lena’s fingers dug into Kara’s waist, trying to keep her melded to her forever.

The end of forever came too soon when Kara broke the kiss, but she kept her forehead resting against Lena’s and for a long, beautiful moment, they stood there silently, just breathing each other’s air.

“I won’t let him win,” Kara promised. “I’ll work on saving your planet. You go save the world.”

Lena stole another quick kiss off Kara’s lips before pulling out of her arms reluctantly. She looked at Alex, who nodded, assuring Lena that she’d take care of Kara no matter what. Lena turned to Nia, who waited expectantly for Lena’s next words.

“Stay right where you are,” Lena told Nia. “And if Sinestro asks, tell him I’m coming. Tell him I’m coming to end this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	20. The End Comes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena ends it, once and for all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW. I had no idea this was what this would turn out to be when I started writing it. I'm so happy with the end result and I hope you are too. It's been a long journey and I'm so thankful for everyone who stuck with it. I also want to warn you that there are some pretty violent scenes in this chapter, so be careful.
> 
> Now, since there's not a lot of Kara in this chapter, I will be having an epilogue that's essentially just fluffy domestic Supercorp. So one more week and THEN we're officially done. 
> 
> Enjoy!

The first time Lena had ever seen space was way back when she was four years old. She’d just been adopted by the Luthors, and they took her to a planetarium just a few months after she moved in.

When Lex had heard that Lena didn’t know what a planetarium was, he’d begged Lillian and Lionel to take them to the planetarium at the Metropolis Natural History Museum. While Lex distracted himself with the war and military history section, Lionel took Lena to the astronomy center where she saw the stars, _really_ saw the stars, for the first time.

What fascinated her the most about the stars that all of them, no matter how small or insignificant, shone just as bright as all the others. Just so long as you looked closely at them.

Lena found herself asking the staff to zoom in on all the stars she’d never heard of. At first, when she was still little, she hardly knew any of the stars’ names. She made herself a promise that first time at the planetarium she’d learn the name of every single star so that when she finally made it into space, she’d greet each of them as she passed by them. And of course, as the time went on, there were less and less stars that Lena didn’t know the names of.

As Lena flew through space now, toward the inevitable end, she remembered those simpler times, when she loved her family and the stars were just stars. But they were never just stars to Lena. Even when she was a little kid, she knew she’d end up here one day, even if she had no idea what the circumstances would be.

Still, as if she was still that four year old girl, she greeted every star as she sped past them.

When her brother betrayed her—multiple times—and her mother neglected her, the stars were always there. Even now, when her world had ceased to make sense, the stars were still here, like familiar faces in a crowded room. And as she named each star in her head, it felt as though they replied to her, saying her name in return, assuring her that they’d never leave her.

She passed Krypton, recalling Kara’s directions from the Sinestro Corps’ base to her old planet. Lena vaguely remembered Krypton on one of the older maps the planetarium had; it stood out to her because the astronomers had skipped over it so many times. When Lena finally pointed it out all they said was, “Oh, this is an outdated map, we just need to update it.” Lena returned the next week and felt as if there was a hole in her heart when she couldn’t find Krypton on it anymore.

Who knew, after all these years, Krypton would be so significant to her in more ways than one?

When the Sinestro Corps’ base came into Lena’s view, she felt a mixture of red and yellow swirling in her veins. She stared at it for a long moment, knowing that this half-formed plan in her mind most likely wouldn’t be enough to actually defeat Sinestro. In all likelihood, Sinestro would win this fight and continue in his plan to take over the Guardians. But at least Lena would try, even if it meant she died doing it.

She took a deep breath and swooped in towards the base. There was hardly any security near the entrance, but Lena had been counting on that. Sinestro probably assumed that if anyone came to retaliate, they would find him on Oa. But Lena couldn’t attack Oa without some help. The help that was currently stuck in a prison on the Sinestro Corps’ base.

Lena fueled herself with Rage and easily took out any Yellow Lantern that got in her way to stop her. Sinestro had made a mistake leaving his weakest members here to defend the base. Or at least, Lena hoped these were his weakest members. If they weren’t, then defeating the Sinestro Corps would be much easier than she thought.

She found the prison, ready to push herself through until she found the cell holding her friends captive. There was just one thing standing in her way.

“It’s so nice to see you again, Lantern Luthor,” Feena Sik snarled. “Although, I’m not sure you deserve that title anymore.”

“Good,” Lena retorted, “I don’t want that title.”

Feena Sik frowned. “So. Are you here to save your little friends? Because I hate to tell you, but you’re a little too late for that. I’ve already killed them. They were fun to play with, but at the end of the day, they served me no purpose.”

Just as Lena’s heart started to sink, she felt the slight flickering of emotion coming from somewhere deep inside the prison. It could very well have been one of the other prisoners, but the blue light inside Lena’s heart told her it was someone more important. Feena Sik was lying, trying to get Lena to quit her pursuit.

But Lena refused to quit anything anymore.

Lena pulled at the blue light inside of her and forced it out of her hands, forming a huge wall that pushed Feena Sik against the real wall. Just before Feena Sik’s back hit the real wall, she formed a yellow hammer and smashed Lena’s blue wall to bits.

“You don’t give up easily, do you?” Feena Sik laughed, hoisting her hammer up as if morphed into an ax. “Good. It’s been awhile since I had a good fight.”

“Too bad I’m not going to give it to you,” Lena said. Feena Sik was a formidable foe to be sure, but at the end of the day, she was just one more annoyance Lena had to get through.

Lena formed two giant speakers on either side of Feena Sik and blasted music out of them. A pair of ear plugs appeared in Lena’s ears just as the loud screeching began. Feena Sik covered her ears, dropping her ax in the process. She dropped to her knees and screamed, but it only made the music grow louder. Lena pushed the speakers closer until it was blasting directly into Feena Sik’s ears.

Then, almost anti-climatically, Feena Sik’s eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell onto the ground. Lena stopped the music when she saw blood seeping out of Feena Sik’s ears.

Lena left Feena Sik’s body and rushed through the prison. The hope grew the farther she ventured, sometimes dimming when she made a wrong turn. Finally, when it felt as if her heart would burst into a cloud of blue smoke, she peered through the bars of a cell and saw Nia, Lois, and Sam.

“What the fuck was that awful noise?” Nia asked.

Lena smiled and forced the door off its hinges. “Trust me, you don’t want to know.”

Nia grinned and threw herself into Lena’s arms. Lena wasn’t used to hugging, but after a second of hesitation, she wrapped her arms around Nia. “It’s good to see you too, kid,” Lena whispered.

“I didn’t think I’d miss Earth so much,” Lois said, stretching her arms up above her head. “It’s a dumpster fire of a planet, but things are so much simpler there.”

“Unfortunately, we’ve got some more work to do,” Lena pointed out. “If we have any hope of defeating Sinestro, we need to catch him while he’s in the middle of planning.”

“He’s already started,” Nia said. “He put everyone to sleep—or something. I’m still not sure what exactly he did. Whatever it was, though, was clearly part of his plan. I think he’s moved past the planning stages, Lena. I think it’s actually happening.”

“Then we have no time to lose,” Lena said. They had to hurry, get out of there quickly and stop Sinestro before he got to the other Lantern Corps.

Then her eyes fell on her companions.

Lois’ mind was strong, stronger than any Lena had ever seen before. But she was still human, she had no hope of standing against Sinestro. Sam was traumatized by Sinestro, she’d spent years under his control and she’d _just_ gotten her life back. Lena couldn’t pull Sam back into the fray. Nia was so young, still so full of hope and light. If Nia died—Lena would never forgive herself.

Above all, though, they were all tired.

“You know what,” Lena said, “I’m gonna get you home first.”

“No way,” Nia exclaimed. “I’m staying to fight. I don’t care what you say, I know I’m ready.”

“Nia,” Lena tried.

“I’m not letting you go in alone,” Nia insisted. “We have more hope as a team than any of us do on our own. And I’ve come too far, gone through too much to just give up and let someone else fight for me.”

“I’m with her,” Lois said, placing a hand on Nia’s shoulder. “I might not be able to fight, but I know how to outsmart Sinestro. I know how the Lanterns think, I can help you make a plan.”

“I’m in, too,” Sam said, slipping her arm through Nia’s. “I miss my daughter, but if I don’t stay and fight, then what kind of role model am I? And besides, I have a few things I want to say to Sinestro.”

Lena felt tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She didn’t know what she ever did to get such wonderful and supportive people in her life, but for as long as she lived, she would never forget this gesture.

“Are you sure?” Lena said. “If something happens—”

“Nothing’s going to happen,” Lois told her. “You know why? Because we’re together. Sinestro may have his Corps, but at the end of the day, he only fights for his own gain. We don’t. We don’t fight _for_ each other, but _with_ each other.”

Lena took Lois’ hands and squeezed them. She nodded vigorously, as if the motion would stop the tears escaping her eyes. It was no use. Moments later, she was full on sobbing in Lois’ arms.

“As much as I love seeing a Luthor express her emotions,” Nia said, “didn’t you say we have no time to lose?”

Lena laughed and wiped her eyes. She stared at all them, taking in their haggard appearances. They all had bags under their eyes, they were skinny and malnourished and in no way ready for a fight of this stature. But they all stood tall, confidence and hope radiating as not just Lena’s friends, but heroes.

“Okay,” Lena agreed. “Okay. But first we need a plan.”

“And maybe some back-up,” Lois said. She smirked at Lena, an idea already forming in that brilliant mind of hers. “Have any ideas, Lena?”

Lena smiled. She knew exactly who to call.

\---

From afar, Oa was the most incredible planet Lena had ever seen. And by this point, Lena had seen plenty of planets. But as beautiful as Oa looked, Lena sensed something sinister inside of it. Even though every inch of the planet seemed to be covered in Fear, so long as it was contained in there for now, there was still hope.

“Is everyone ready?” Lena asked as they stood in the middle of the ship they’d borrowed from their back-up. Lois sat at the communications panel, already a master at the alien technology. Lena relaxed against a seat, nearly asleep. Sam stood beside her, a green suit on her body and a green ring on her finger. Their back-up was angry, but ready.

“Let’s end this,” Sam said, taking Lena’s hand.

Lena nodded, and it felt like that moment should’ve included some crazy, intense explosion, but instead they just walked out of the ship and onto Oa. As if it was the simplest thing in the world.

Just before the doors closed, Lena glanced back at Nia, fully asleep in her chair. Now that Nia had started to dream, the work would begin.

**

Nia had had nightmares before, but none were quite like this. When evil clowns and headless horsemen chased her, at least she knew there would be an end. At the end of each chase, she’d always wake up. She’d be completely traumatized, but at least she’d be safe.

In this desolate, foggy plain, there was no end in sight. The end only came when she managed to find each and every Guardian and woke them up. Who knew how long that would take, and even when they were awake, the fighting wasn’t done. Even worse, Nia had no way of knowing what was happening on the outside while she pulled people out of their nightmares. She’d just have to have faith that everything was going as planned.

Nia took her first step into that cold fog.

She found the first few Guardians easily, all of them fighting or cowering before some kind of dark shadowy figure. Nia realized as she calmed them down and pushed them into the waking world that she couldn’t actually see what their nightmares were. So at least they had some privacy down here.

Every time she saw a Guardian, there was always that little hope in Nia’s chest that it was Brainy or Jessica, someone familiar that would make this place a little less empty. It never was, though, but there couldn’t be many Guardians left. They had to be here somewhere.

“You’re all alone, Nia,” a voice whispered.

Nia whirled around, desperately seeking the source of the voice. All she saw was a shadow fading into the fog. She chased after it, as if she could catch it, but she just walked deeper and deeper into the fog. Before she knew it, she was out in the middle of nowhere, unable to sense any other presence.

“Hello?” she called out, turning around and stepping forward. But that seemed wrong. She turned in a different direction and took a couple of steps, but that wasn’t right either. “Hello!”

Her heart started to sink, but she remembered that blue light Lena had emanated when she’d appeared at their cell door.

“Nia?”

Nia spun, expecting another shadow, but this time she saw something more solid, more human-like in the distance. She took a step, but the first voice she’d heard stopped her.

“There’s no one there,” it insisted. “No one is here to help you.”

“I’m here, Nia,” the second voice called out to her. “Just follow my voice.”

Nia forced the darkness out of her heart and followed that second voice. The figure became clearer the closer she got until she made out a familiar stiff posture and greased back hair.

“Brainy!” she squealed, running towards him at full speed.

When Nia finally collided with him, he stumbled and fell, seemingly surprised by her presence, as if he hadn’t called out to her. She helped him up, laughing as she enveloped him in her arms.

“You’re real?” Brainy said, pushing her away and holding her at arm’s length. “You’re here?”

“Of course I am, you idiot!” Nia grinned, giving him a playful slap. But Brainy wasn’t laughing. In fact, his eyes were red-rimmed and wet. Had Brainy been _crying._ “Brainy, you’re—”

“I feel it, Nia,” Brainy said, clutching his stomach. “You were right, I feel it.”

“Feel what?” Nia asked.

“Something good is going to happen,” Brainy said, grasping Nia’s hands and shaking them gently. “You said I’d feel it in my gut when something good was going to happen. I felt it, and then you showed up. For real.”

“Why do you keep saying that?” Nia said. “Of course I’m real.”

“Because you—” Brainy hesitates, embarrassed about what he was about to say. “You kept showing up. But then when I looked for you, you were gone again. But this time, when I heard you, I knew somehow, that it was different this time.”

Brainy was having nightmares about Nia not being there. Nia wondered what it meant, if it was entirely possible that Brainy felt the same way about her that she does about him. She wanted desperately to pull him into a kiss, just to see if her gut was telling the truth, but now wasn’t exactly the best time.

“I’m getting you out of here,” Nia said. “Wait for me on the other side, and I’ll tell you what to do next.”

Brainy shook his head and squeezed Nia’s hand. “I’m not leaving here without you. I’m not letting you leave me again.”

A shock of electricity went up Nia’s spine.

All of a sudden, Nia heard a piercing scream echo through the plain. She tugged Brainy along as she rushed toward the noise. It sounded achingly familiar, and Nia hated to think that one of her friends was in pain.

The two of them found Jessica curled up into a ball, rocking herself back and forth. Another shadowy figure stood in front of her and Nia shooed it away. It shrunk and flew away. Nia knelt down beside Jessica.

“Are you okay?” Nia asked quietly.

“Get away from me!” Jessica screamed. She didn’t look up. “ _Please_. I can’t let anyone else die.”

Nia could barely understand what Jessica was saying because of how hard she was sobbing. Nia glanced up at Brainy, who sat down beside Nia.

“Lant—Jessica,” Brainy said softly. Nia had never heard him speak in this tone before. It sounded nice. “It’s me, Brainiac-5, and Nia Nal. I know it might not seem like it, but we’re here, and we’re real, and we want to help.”

Jessica shook her head. “No. I don’t care if you’re real or not, you need to get away from me. Everyone that gets close to me gets hurt or dies.” She choked on a sob. “All my friends are dead. They were all _killed_ while I hid like a _coward_. I don’t deserve this ring, and I don’t deserve your help.”

Nia’s heart shattered. She finally understood Jessica’s reluctance to trust anyone, especially someone who had a history like Lena’s. She was terrified of losing more people in her life, and she thought it was her fault they were gone.

“It’s not your fault, Jessica,” Nia said. “You’re so strong, and you’re so brave, and I’m sure your friends would be proud of the person you’ve become. They wouldn’t want you dwelling on the past like this. So come on, come with us. You’ll be okay.”

Jessica shook her head. “You’ll only get killed. I can’t—I can’t protect you.”

“That’s okay,” Nia said. “You don’t always need to protect people. Sometimes you’ve gotta let others take the reins. Let us help you, let us protect you. We _want_ to. Is that alright?”

Jessica looked up slowly, studying Nia and Brainy closely. “Yeah,” she whispered. “Yeah, that’s alright.” She blinked back her tears and reached out her hand.

**

A strange sense of familiarity overwhelmed Lena as she crossed the meeting hall on Oa. Somewhere deep in her bones, she knew that this was always meant to happen, that she was meant to be there. At the same time, though, that feeling struck a wrong chord in her, the same way being at Luthor Corp did. Her path had dictated this for her, but it wasn’t the one she wanted to take.

“Lantern Luthor,” Sinestro greeted her, his tongue running over his teeth. “I thought you might be back. You just do not know how to give up, do you?”

“I don’t give up until I’ve won,” Lena said. “And I’m done wasting time.”

“So am I,” Sinestro said, standing up from his makeshift throne and made his way down the steps toward Lena. “You have been nothing but a nuisance for me. The last thing standing in the way of my future. I tried to get you to join me, but no. You just had to go and ruin _everything_.”

“Then get rid of me,” Lena laughed. She stepped forward, purposely closing the distance between her and Sinestro. She needed his full attention on her, and her only. “Oh wait, you can’t.”

Sinestro growled and formed a yellow spear and launched it in Lena’s direction. She quickly created a shield and held it up in front of her. The spear knocked against the shield pitifully and fell to the floor.

“Is that all you’ve got?” Lena said, smirking.

She might have gone a little too far. Sinestro snarled and before Lena knew what was happening, he sent a yellow rope flying toward her. When it wrapped around her neck, Sinestro grinned and tugged Lena’s body toward him easily. He pulled on the rope, tightening it until there was no air left in Lena’s throat.

“I am done playing your games, _Luthor_ ,” Sinestro said. “You think you are so _strong_ , so _powerful_ , but you have no discipline. You do not know what you are doing. I could have given you that training. I could have given you _everything_ you ever wanted. And look at you now. All alone, not even your little Kryptonian is here to save you. You made all the wrong choices, Luthor, and now I am going to kill you.”

Lena struggled against the rope around her neck, trying to construct something that could break it, but she was beginning to feel lightheaded and couldn’t gather enough strength to form a construct. There was only one thing left to do.

“You’re… wrong,” Lena gasped out. “I’m not… alone.”

Sinestro tilted his head, a confused expression taking over his face. In that small moment of surprise, Lena’s back-up appeared behind him and sent out an explosion of light from her body. Sinestro let go of his construct as he and Lena went sprawling to the ground.

Lena sat up and gave Stargirl a smile. Stargirl winked back at her and flew towards Sinestro. She hoisted him up by the throat.

“Star-Stargirl?” Sinestro choked. “How the fuck did you get here? Where have you _been_?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Stargirl laughed. She threw him down to the ground as easily as a ragdoll. She floated down gently and helped Lena stand up. They stood above Sinestro strong and tall.

Sinestro cackled. “You think—you really think the two of you can beat me. You forget that I am not alone either. Sinestro Corps! Destroy them!”

All at once, every door in the hall opened, and a stream of Yellow Lanterns marched out. They stood behind Sinestro, awaiting his directions. Sinestro looked upon them, his brow furrowing in confusion.

“Where are the rest of them?” Sinestro asked. “Where are the Guardians?!”

“You mean these Guardians?”

The entrance door opened and out came Nia Nal, an army of Green Lanterns following behind her. On her sides stood Brainy and Jessica, worn out, but pissed. Sam appeared at Lena’s side, taking her hand and smiling at her.

“I told you,” Lena said, “I’m not alone. And my name isn’t _Luthor_. It’s Lena. And that better be the name you use when you’re begging for mercy.”

Sinestro ground his teeth together. “Sinestro Corps… _attack_!”

The Yellow Lanterns rushed at the Guardians, and the Guardians responded immediately. Constructed swords and spears clashed against each other and everything in that room became complete chaos. Lena fought her way out of the fray, searching for wherever Sinestro cowered in the room. She found him standing at the top of the steps, looking down upon his army, his frown growing deeper by the second.

Lena found Sam in the crowd easily and gestured for her to join her. She nodded in Sinestro’s direction, silently asking Sam if she was ready to follow through with the plan. Sam grinned and nodded back before disappearing back into the fighting.

Lena made her way up the steps slowly, dramatically. Sinestro’s eyes were on her the entire time, waiting.

When Lena finally reached the top she constructed a staff and swung it out by her side. Sinestro mirrored her.

“After all this time,” Sinestro said, “this is what it comes to. Do not forget, _Luthor_ , I am the one who trained you.”

Lena grunted and swung out at him, but he blocked it with his own staff. While he was distracted by her staff, Lena kicked his knees, sending him sprawling to the ground. Lena brought her staff down and Sinestro rolled out of the way. He stabbed the staff into Lena’s stomach and she keeled over. Sinestro grabbed her hair and threw her down onto the ground.

“You are still weak,” Sinestro said as he pinned her to the ground. “Just the same as you were when I began training you. Have you learned nothing?”

Lena jerked her knee into his stomach and pushed him off of her. She knelt down, digging her knee into his sternum, holding the staff up to his throat.

“You didn’t train me,” she said. “Lois Lane did.”

She felt the push coming before it happened. Sinestro kicked her away from him, sending Lena sprawling all the way down the steep steps. She stretched out her body, twisting it so she landed on her back, the impact hitting her entire body rather than just one spot.

Thank Lois Lane for teaching her how to fall.

Lena recovered easily and stood up. She glanced back at the fighting crowd and met Sam’s eyes. When she got the all-clear signal from Sam she turned back to Sinestro.

“What?” Sinestro called out to her. “You cannot take anymore?”

Lena let her body relax and felt that familiar pull that came with separating herself into two. When she opened her eyes again, it was as her energy twin.

Sinestro laughed. “You have to be smarter than that, Luthor. Is this really the only thing you know how to do?”

Lena ignored him and sent her energy twin rushing to Sinestro. He sighed as though he was bored by this move and braced for impact. But the impact never came. At least, it didn’t come from the place he expected.

Sam appeared behind Sinestro and constructed a huge green sword. She lifted it and sliced it through Sinestro’s neck. Sinestro had no time to react before his head bounced to the ground.

The sword disappeared from Sam’s hands and she fell to the floor, exhausted. Lena rushed to her side and held her tightly.

“It’s okay,” Lena assured her. “You’re okay.”

“It’s done, right?” Sam said breathlessly. “The fighting can stop?”

Lena started to nod, but she heard a booming, painfully familiar voice coming from the back of the room.

“During times of war,” Lex announced, “when a leader fell, the fighting didn’t stop. Instead, another took his place. Hello, dear sister.”

Lena squeezed her eyes shut, trying to will away this nightmare. But when she opened them again, Lex was still there. Would this fighting never end?

“Lena,” Sam whimpered, “I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”

“You’ve done your part, Sam,” Lena said, starting down the steps. “This is my fight, and my fight only.” She approached Lex and held her chin up. “So, _dear brother_ , you’ve come to end this.”

“I’ve come to _continue_ this,” Lex corrected. “Sinestro had a good plan, but he didn’t know what the hell he was doing. He wasn’t the right person for this job.”

“And you are?” Lena asked.

“Look at me!” Lex spread his arms out wide. “I’ve conquered the Earth with Luthor Corp and now I’m poised to conquer the _universe_. I am unstoppable.”

Lena had thought the surprises were all over, at least the ones she had planned. But just when everything seemed predictable, Kara flew into the room and landed in front of Lena. She wore her Supergirl uniform, with a bright, bold “S” emblazoned on her chest.

Lena loved her. If she wasn’t sure of it before, she was sure of it now. Lena Luthor loved Kara Zor-El, and there was no coming back from it.

“You may want to rethink that first part,” Kara said. “You see, Lex, I’ve been recovering from that kryptonite you and Sinestro used on me, but I didn’t spend that time resting. I learned all about those plans Luthor Corp had to spy on your citizens and I made sure everyone else knew it too. I’ve experienced the pain of the destruction of one planet. I don’t really want to go through that again.”

For possibly the first time in Lex’s life, he was rendered speechless. He glanced from Kara to Lena, and back to Kara again.

“You-you-you—” he sputtered. “I will destroy you, Supergirl. Mark my words, you will regret—”

Lena punched him in the face. She had had enough fighting for one day and she was just about ready to go home. She didn’t feel like listening to another one of Lex’s inane speeches. Especially when they all knew he’d lost and nothing would come of it.

Lex stumbled backwards and Kara caught him. She grasped his hands and held them tightly behind his back.

“What would you like to do with him?” Kara asked Lena.

Lena regarded her brother, who’d been at her side constantly, especially when she didn’t want him there. There was so much irreparable damage he’d done to her emotionally, and there was so much that needed fixing on Earth. And yet…

“Let the Guardians deal with him,” Lena decided. “He admitted it himself, he wanted to conquer the universe, so now he’s the universe’s problem.”

Kara hesitated. “Are you sure about that?”

Lena nodded. “Absolutely. This way I won’t have to deal with him while rebuilding the company. And he has too much influence on Earth, who knows how long it’ll be before some warden’s letting him take day trips out of prison.” Lena smirked at Lex. Being in charge of his fate made her feel more powerful than her Lantern rings ever had. “The Guardians will know the proper punishment for a criminal like him.”

“About that…” One of the Green Lanterns stepped forward, an ordinary human with brown hair. “We’re not so sure the Green Lanterns are the proper Corps for the job. After all, we nearly let Sinestero take over. And it was so easy for him to control us.”

“You can’t mean the Green Lanterns are stepping down as Guardians?” Sam asked.

The Green Lantern looked behind him, at his rough and worn out crew. He met Jessica’s eyes and she nodded, smiling. Lena never thought she’d give up control like this, but there was still so much that she didn’t know about Jessica.

“Who would replace you?” Lena asked.

“Well,” the Green Lantern said, smiling to himself, “the next Guardians would have to be a Lantern Corps that believes in protecting the innocent and not just themselves.”

“Of course,” Lena agreed.

“But they’d also have to be strong enough that they wouldn’t bend if another threat like Sinestro came along.”

Lena knew exactly who this Green Lantern was talking about. “It sounds like you already have someone in mind.”

The Green Lantern looked behind him and locked eyes with one of the Star Sapphires, Ferris. They grinned at each other like they were sharing a secret.

“Stargirl?” the Green Lantern said. “How would you like it if you and the Star Sapphires took charge for a while?”

“Fucking finally,” Stargirl said. “It’s about time.” She walked up to Lena and Kara, grinning. “Hand over the prisoner. Don’t worry, Lena, I’ll take _good_ care of your brother.”

Before Lena let her take Lex, she threw her arms around Stargirl and squeezed her tightly. Stargirl reciprocated just as enthusiastically.

“Thank you, Stargirl,” Lena said, “for everything. I don’t know what we would’ve done without you.”

Stargirl nodded and pulled away slightly. “No, thank _you_ , Lena. Without you, we never would’ve become the fucking Guardians. I thought I was the most powerful being in the universe until you came along. I guess I have a lot of catching up to do.”

Lena laughed. “I hope I’ll get to see you soon.”

“Me too. Oh, and you can just call me Courtney. It makes me feel more… human. And I haven’t felt that way in a long time.”

Lena pulled her into another hug. When she was finally ready, she let go and turned back to Kara. Kara smiled back at her, tears rimming her eyes. It kind of felt like an ending, Lena realized, so she should be sad, and yet, she’d never been happier.

“Are you ready?” she asked Kara.

Kara nodded and took Lena’s hand. “I feel like I could sleep forever. But only if I’m next to you.”

Lena couldn’t help but agree. She would never let Kara leave her side ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you so so so so much for reading. For those curious, the story Jessica hints at is her actual backstory from the comics, which I suggest you read because they're SO GOOD and she's such an amazing character and I definitely didn't do her justice. Anyway, I'll see you all next week for one final send off.


	21. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We begin again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here's a short little epilogue with a little more supercorp interaction. Thank you to everyone who read this and actually stuck through to the end. It was a wild ride and I'm glad that I got to entertain you, even for a little while. Enjoy this one last chapter!

Despite all the training Lena had received in the past year, she couldn’t seem to calm her nerves. She’d become an expert at understanding others’ emotions to the point where she could practically predict their next move in fights. Yet, as she stood backstage waiting for the unveiling of the new and improved Luthor Corp, she couldn’t get a handle on her own damn feelings.

“You ready?”

Lena whirled around and found Lois standing at the door. Lena felt the crowd pulsing beyond her. Lois’ presence reminded Lena that she wasn’t alone in this, she never would be again, but she could feel the anxiety building under Lois’ skin.

“You’re making me nervous,” Lena grumbled, grabbing her water bottle and taking a deep swig.

Lois grimaced. “Sorry. I always forget you can feel everything you feel.”

“There’s nothing to be nervous about,” Nia assured her as she made her way into the room. “You’re going to be amazing. You always are.”

“Although,” Brainy interjected as he tailed Nia, “I should point out that there is a 32.4 percent chance that there will be a riot.”

Lena went pale.

Nia hit Brainy’s shoulder. “There is _not_. Don’t scare her, Brainy.”

“Nia’s right,” Brainy said. “It’s actually only a 7.8 percent chance for a riot.”

Nia groaned. “Brainy, can I speak with you outside for a second? I think you need some pointers on how to give someone a pep talk.”

As Nia ushers Brainy out of the room quickly, Lena hears Brainy’s voice as it fades away. “I thought it would be helpful to be realistic. She should take into account all possibilities…”

Lena sat down. She felt very nauseous all of a sudden. Lois knelt down beside her and placed a comforting hand on Lena’s knee.

“You’re going to be okay,” Lois assured her. “You literally defeated an alien with super powers who was threatening to take over the universe. I think you can handle a press conference.”

Lena nodded, but that wasn’t the reason behind her anxiety at all. Lena knew she could handle it, even if this situation did end up falling into the 7.8 percent and a riot ensued. The problem was that she’d worked so hard on this project for a year now, putting all her time and effort into it, even distancing herself from her girlfriend just to get it done. Now it was done, and she was immensely proud of her work, but what if it changed nothing? What if she just became another Lex?

The worst part was, after being an entire galaxy away from Lena for the past few months, Kara couldn’t make it.

“The crowd’s getting antsy,” Lois said. “You think you’re about ready to go out there?”

Fuck no, she wasn’t.

“Yeah,” Lena said. “I’m fine.”

“Okay.” Lois patted Lena’s knee. “I’ll get them warmed up for you.”

Lena watched Lois disappear back into the sea of emotions waiting outside for her. She leaned back into her seat and sighed.

“I thought you’d be more excited.”

It took Lena a moment to figure out that the voice wasn’t coming from her daydreams, but from a real, living person in front of her. She jumped from her chair and just stared at Kara in astonishment. Kara smiled back so hard her eyes disappeared into her cheeks.

“You’re here,” Lena sighed.

“Of course I’m here,” Kara said. She took a step forward, her cape billowing out behind her. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

“I thought you would.” Lena approached Kara slowly, though her fingers itched to grab Kara by the waist and do things they definitely didn’t have time for. “I thought you’d be with the Star Sapphires for another month.”

Kara shook her head. “You know Courtney, she can handle the universe on her own. But she wasn’t sure that I could.”

Lena reached forward and let her fingers caress the edges of Kara’s skirt. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Kara said, reaching up and brushing her hands over Lena’s cheek, “that I’ve spent my whole life on my own, being lied to by people I thought I could trust. And then you came into my life and I just knew, right from that first moment, that you weren’t like any of them. I wanted you in my life, Lena, but then we spent so long getting distracted from one another that I kind of forgot how important you were to me.”

Kara paused, breathing heavily. She looked away, seemingly second guessing herself and her words. Slowly, Lena laid her hand on Kara’s chin and turned her head back. It had been so long since she’d seen Kara, and they hadn’t even spent a proper amount of time together before then to satisfy Lena. She needed to hear what Kara had to say, she needed to know if what she hoped would come true.

“Kara,” Lena whispered, prompting her to go on.

“I don’t want to lose anymore time,” Kara said in a rushed breath. “There’s so much I still want to do with you and I’m afraid that something will happen before we get to do any of it. I know there are still so many things left unfinished, but right now, all I care about is what I’ve left unfinished with you.”

Lena smiled and wrapped her arms around Kara’s neck tightly. “And what would that be?”

Kara laughed. She grabbed Lena’s waist and pulled her flush against her body. “I think it started out a little like this.”

Lena sighed into the kiss Kara offered her, letting her entire body melt into Kara’s. It had been so long that she’d forgotten how comfortable and familiar Kara’s kiss felt. It ignited a fiery warmth inside of her that she hadn’t realized she’d been missing. As she kissed Kara, pressing herself into her harder, she felt an overwhelming sense of peace flare up inside of her.

For the first time since Kara left, Lena finally stopped worrying.

“I should’ve known,” an annoyed voice said from somewhere behind them.

Lena pulled away from Kara slowly, reluctantly, and glared in Sam’s direction. But she knew Sam was right, that as much as Lena wanted to stay here in Kara’s arms forever, she had other business to attend to. She heard Kara giggle and she turned back to look at the most radiant expression she’d ever seen.

“Go on,” Kara said, nodding her head toward the door. “Your crowd awaits.”

“What about you?” Lena asked.

Kara took Lena’s hand in hers, rubbing her thumb over Lena’s new rainbow colored ring. She didn’t really need it to access her powers like the other Lanterns did, but Kara had gotten it for her as a reference to the first time they met and now Lena refused to remove it.

“I’ll be right here,” Kara assured her. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Promise?” Lena asked.

Kara smiled and kissed her again. “Promise. Now go!”

Lena stole one more kiss before she turned back to the door. She took a deep breath and took her first step into the beginning of the rest of her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I can't think everyone who kudos'd and commented enough. I so appreciate you supporting fanfic authors (and lesbians) like me. And thanks again to supercorp-shipper on tumblr for inspiring me to write this! If you have any prompts or just want to talk about supercorp and other lesbians, come hit me up on my [tumblr](https://dauntless-sansa.tumblr.com/). So long!


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